Hidden Weapons : Scripture Memory For Good Soldiers
The 5 “R”s
There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God’s word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose rarely seen in these times.
But there is but little benefit derived from a hasty reading of the Scriptures. One may read the whole Bible through and yet fail to see its beauty or comprehend its deep and hidden meaning. One passage studied until its significance is clear to the mind and its relation to the plan of salvation is evident, is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained. Keep your Bible with you. As you have opportunity, read it; fix the texts in your memory. Even while you are walking the streets you may read a passage and meditate upon it, thus fixing it in the mind.
The Necessity of Bible Study
No renewed heart can be kept in a condition of sweetness without the daily application of the salt of the Word. Divine grace must be received daily, or no man will stay converted.—Our High Calling, 215 (1897).
Let your faith be substantiated by the Word of God. Grasp firmly the living testimony of truth. Have faith in Christ as a personal Saviour. He has been and ever will be our Rock of Ages.—Evangelism, 362 (1905).
Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligently studying the Word of God and striving to conform their lives to its precepts.—Prophets and Kings, 626 (c. 1914).
None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.—The Great Controversy, 593, 594 (1911).
Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive.—The Great Controversy, 625 (1911).
Our people need to understand the oracles of God; they need to have a systematic knowledge of the principles of revealed truth, which will fit them for what is coming upon the earth and prevent them from being carried about by every wind of doctrine.—Testimonies for the Church 5:273 (1885).
He who strives to serve God will encounter a strong undercurrent of wrong. His heart needs to be barricaded by constant watchfulness and prayer, or else the embankment will give way; and like a millstream, the undercurrent of wrong will sweep away the safeguard. No renewed heart can be kept in a condition of sweetness without the daily application of the salt of the Word. Divine grace must be received daily, or no man will stay converted.…
None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.
2 Keep my commandments, and live;
And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers,
Write them upon the table of thine heart.
Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man
That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor standeth in the way of sinners,
Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
His leaf also shall not wither;
And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
97 MEM.
O how love I thy law!
It is my meditation all the day.
98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies:
For they are ever with me.
99 I whave more understanding than all my teachers:
For thy testimonies are my meditation.
148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches,
That I might meditate in thy word.
6 When I remember thee upon my bed,
And meditate on thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
The Necessity of Bible Study
No renewed heart can be kept in a condition of sweetness without the daily application of the salt of the Word. Divine grace must be received daily, or no man will stay converted.—Our High Calling, 215 (1897).
Let your faith be substantiated by the Word of God. Grasp firmly the living testimony of truth. Have faith in Christ as a personal Saviour. He has been and ever will be our Rock of Ages.—Evangelism, 362 (1905).
Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligently studying the Word of God and striving to conform their lives to its precepts.—Prophets and Kings, 626 (c. 1914).
None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.—The Great Controversy, 593, 594 (1911).
Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive.—The Great Controversy, 625 (1911).
Our people need to understand the oracles of God; they need to have a systematic knowledge of the principles of revealed truth, which will fit them for what is coming upon the earth and prevent them from being carried about by every wind of doctrine.—Testimonies for the Church 5:273 (1885).
Commit Scripture to Memory
Several times each day precious, golden moments should be consecrated to prayer and the study of the Scriptures, if it is only to commit a text to memory, that spiritual life may exist in the soul.—Testimonies for the Church 4:459 (1880).
God’s precious Word is the standard for youth who would be loyal to the King of heaven. Let them study the Scriptures. Let them commit text after text to memory and acquire a knowledge of what the Lord has said.—My Life Today, 315 (1887).
Build a wall of scriptures around you, and you will see that the world cannot break it down. Commit the Scriptures to memory, and then throw right back upon Satan when he comes with his temptations, “It is written.” This is the way that our Lord met the temptations of Satan, and resisted them.—The Review and Herald, April 10, 1888.
Hang in memory’s hall the precious words of Christ. They are to be valued far above silver or gold.—Testimonies for the Church 6:81 (1900).
Keep a pocket Bible with you as you work, and improve every opportunity to commit to memory its precious promises.—The Review and Herald, April 27, 1905.
The time will come when many will be deprived of the written Word. But if this Word is printed in the memory, no one can take it from us.—Manuscript Releases 20:64 (1906).
Study the Word of God. Commit its precious promises to memory so that, when we shall be deprived of our Bibles, we may still be in possession of the Word of God.—Manuscript Releases 10:298 (1909).
All the hands in our offices should place themselves in the most favorable condition for the formation of good and correct habits. Several times each day precious, golden moments should be consecrated to prayer and the study of the Scriptures, if it is only to commit a text to memory, that spiritual life may exist in the soul. The varied interests of the cause furnish us with food for reflection and inspiration for our prayers. Communion with God is highly essential for spiritual health, and here only may be obtained that wisdom and correct judgment so necessary in the performance of every duty.
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11.
We know the dangers and temptations that beset the youth at the present time are not few, nor small; and we understand that every means that can be employed to repress sin and to encourage righteousness should be entered into most earnestly by the youth themselves. We live in an age when to resist evil calls for constant watchfulness and prayer. God’s precious word is the standard for youth who would be loyal to the King of heaven. Let them study the Scriptures. Let them commit text after text to memory, and acquire a knowledge of what the Lord has said; and then let his word be strictly obeyed. When tested, and in trial, let the youth spread out the word of God before them, and with humble hearts, and in faith, seek the Lord for wisdom to find out his way, and for strength to walk in it. The Lord loves his children, and with a devotion stronger than that of a mother for her child; for in response to the question, “Can a woman forget her child?” the Lord, by his prophet, says, She “may forget, yet will I not forget.”
Let those who work for the higher classes bear themselves with true dignity, remembering that angels are their companions. Let them keep the treasure house of mind and heart well filled with “It is written.” Hang in memory’s hall the precious words of Christ. They are to be valued far above silver or gold.
Students, eternal interests are before you. Work with heaven in view, remembering ever your character building. Keep a pocket Bible with you as you work, and improve every opportunity to commit to memory its precious promises.
Urge our people to become familiar with the Word of God. In their study, the students in our schools should commit to memory portions of the Word. The time will come when many will be deprived of the written word. But if this word is printed in the memory, no one can take it from us; and it is a talisman that will meet the worst forms of error and evil.
MR No. 818—Mental Improvement Promised
God Promises to Strengthen Memory of His Servants—The Lord will strengthen the memory of the one who is speaking in His name. He will bring to the mind the words necessary for the occasion, that portion of His Word which will be meat in due season for the people. To His faithful servants God will be tongue and utterance. The Holy Spirit will make the word effective, to convict and convert souls. The seed sown will fall into good ground and will spring up to bring forth fruit unto life eternal.… [1 Corinthians 9:24–27 quoted.]
Here is represented the need of spiritual exercise, the training of mind and heart. This is even more essential than physical training. It is by the training of the heart and mind that spiritual strength is gained, that weak points of character are made strong.—Manuscript 22, 1890, 13, 16. (Diary, February 8, and March 1, 1890.)
Commit Bible Promises to Memory—Put away the foolish reading matter and study the Word of God. Commit its precious promises to memory so that when we shall be deprived of our Bibles we may still be in possession of the Word of God.—Manuscript 85, 1909, 10. (Lessons of Self-denial, Trust and Cooperation,” Sermon preached in Nevada, Iowa, August 21, 1909.)
Holy Spirit Will Renew Memory—Your memory will be renewed by the Holy Spirit. Can you forget what Jesus has done for you at this time, and on that occasion when everything looked so discouraging?—You were taken away from yourself: your deepest, sweetest thoughts were upon your precious Saviour, His care, His assurance, His love. How your desires went out to Him, how your affections centered upon Him. All your hopes rested upon Him, all your expectations were associated with Him. He loves you still: He has the balm that can heal every wound, and you can repose in Him without a single drawback.—Letter 33, 1892, p. 1. (To S. N. Haskell, September. 1892.)
Dietary Intemperance Enfeebles the Brain—The success of acquiring a good memory and a calm, uniform temper depends not upon circumstances, but very much upon the way in which the stomach is treated. If food is taken at any and every time [it is desired], the organs of digestion are abused and man must pay the penalty. Nature will not suffer abuse without proclaiming it in disordered nerves and muscles and intellect. The gourmand—for this he may be called—who overloads his stomach should remember that the nerve power must be called upon to take care of the burden placed upon the stomach, and the brain is enfeebled in being deprived of the power necessary to strengthen the memory.—Manuscript 53, 1896, pp. 6, 7. (April 24, 1896.)
The Mind to Be Brought Under the Control of Christ—Today Christ is offering His grace to them if they will cooperate with Him to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, lest they shall lose the opportunities granted them. They are ever to remember that it is God which worketh in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Reason, conscience, memory, must be brought under the control of Christ.—Manuscript 118, 1905, 6. (“A Divine Saviour,” August 9, 1905.)
God Desires Mental Improvement in His Workers—God desires His workers to gain daily a better understanding of how to reason logically from cause to effect, arriving at wise, safe conclusions. He desires them to add to their strength of memory. We cannot afford to make mistakes that are the result of our cherishing erroneous ideas. As little children we are to sit at the feet of Christ, learning of Him how to work successfully. We are to ask God for a sound judgment, and for light to impart to others. There is need of knowledge that is the fruit of experience. We should not allow a day to pass without gaining an increase of knowledge in temporal and spiritual things. We are to plant no stakes that we are not willing to take up and plant farther on, nearer the heights we hope to ascend. The highest education is to be found in training the mind to advance day to day.—Letter 164, 1903, p. 4. (To Those in Charge of the Wahroonga Sanitarium, July 29, 1903.)
The Bible should never be studied without prayer. The Holy Spirit alone can cause us to feel the importance of those things easy to be understood, or prevent us from wresting truths difficult of comprehension. It is the office of heavenly angels to prepare the heart so to comprehend God’s word that we shall be charmed with its beauty, admonished by its warnings, or animated and strengthened by its promises. We should make the psalmist’s petition our own: “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” Psalm 119:18. Temptations often appear irresistible because, through neglect of prayer and the study of the Bible, the tempted one cannot readily remember God’s promises and meet Satan with the Scripture weapons. But angels are round about those who are willing to be taught in divine things; and in the time of great necessity they will bring to their remembrance the very truths which are needed. Thus “when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19.
Wherever you go, carry on the good work of searching the Scriptures, and the Lord Jesus will always be at your right hand to help you. He is a merciful high priest pleading in your behalf. He will send his representative, the Holy Spirit; for He says, “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.” By the Spirit the Father and the Son will come and make their abode with you. There is no excuse for wavering or sinning. But in order to be upright, you must keep all these rich and full promises in memory’s hall. Clear the mind of all objectionable, foolish things; retain the precious truths that you have heard here. And “when the enemy shall come in like a flood,” these precious, golden words of promise will come into your mind and strengthen your soul. “When the enemy shall come in like a flood” that would sweep you from the Rock, “the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” What is that standard? What weapon did Jesus present to the enemy in his temptation in the wilderness?—The Word of God. He said, “It is written.”
Now, you are to remember what is written, and when the enemy comes, and tempts you to seek this or that place of amusement where you cannot take Jesus with you, just say firmly, “No, I cannot go there. Make up your mind, and know how to say “No” squarely. “When sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”