Spotlight
Memorizing Scripture in the Age of Google
By Nick Mahabir
A few years ago I found myself seated at a table with other ministers at a prayer breakfast. As we waited to be served, the conversation turned to the memorization of Scripture. A comment from one of the ministers caught my attention and lingered with me. He said, “We have no need to memorize Scripture today because we have Google.”
One by one, other ministers voiced their opinions about the irrelevance of memorization in today’s world. One repeated the assertion given by a prominent social educator, that memorization was the lowest form of learning. At that point I realized that silence was the better part of valor, so I kept my mouth shut and my opinion to myself. By the end of the breakfast, I felt I had been given a clear idea of the direction of pastoral education and Christian ministry as a whole. Yet, I am willing to embrace memorization as a valid form of learning and to briefly examine some of the benefits of memorization.
Memorization is not optional (see Deuteronomy 4 and 6).
With respect to divine Scripture, God’s command to the Israelites was to learn the commandments. He even offered several mechanisms to help with the process: learn the laws, constantly and continuously talk about them to your children, tie them to your hands and wear them like a headband on your foreheads, paint them on your doorposts. In other words, do what you must to have God’s Word planted in your life so that it becomes second nature to you. Then it becomes a lifestyle. How can you determine what God is saying if you are not intimately familiar with the text?
Memorization facilitates the believer’s edification and sanctification.
King David said, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11, NKJV). When Satan slings his arrows at us, we may not have a Bible on hand to turn to for an appropriate text. Neither will the devil wait around for us to Google a reference. We need to have the Word embedded in our hearts (and in our minds) so that when the tempter takes his best shot, we can respond immediately. Satan’s arrows of doubt regarding the believer’s salvation need an immediate response . . . from the heart and the mind. One pastor of a bygone era remarked quite correctly, “This book [the Bible] will keep me from sin, or sin will keep me from this book.” Memorize God’s Word always and often. It will help you live a clean and holy life in the sight of God.
Memorization of Scripture is the only sure way to live in spiritual purity and victory.
In Genesis, Satan tempted Eve by casting doubt on the accuracy and integrity of God’s Word. He questioned, “Did God say?”
Unfortunately, Eve was not prepared for the biggest challenge of her life. Sometimes our very lives depend on knowing God’s word. Around fifty years ago during a revolt, an Open Bible pastor in Grenada was confronted by one of the proponents of the Black Power Movement. The man placed a machete on the pastor’s neck and asked him, “Pastor, what color is sin?”
The man fully expected the pastor to respond that sin was black. Then he would lose his head. But this pastor who knew his Bible responded, “The Bible says though your sin be as scarlet . . . .”
The pastor’s life was saved! There was much thanksgiving in the Church!
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You”
Psalm 119:11, NKJV
Come with me to the wilderness in Luke 4. Jesus had fasted for forty days. He was tired, weak, and desperately needed nourishment. Satan came along quoting Scripture. During each of three temptations, Satan tried to twist God’s Word to his advantage. Nonetheless, on each occasion Jesus responded with appropriate quotations from the Scripture. Although He did not have a scroll, Jesus responded correctly because He had memorized the Scriptures, giving Him victory on each occasion. If Jesus needed God’s Word to overcome the devil’s temptation, do we need it any less?
Scripture memorization empowers evangelism.
Let’s take a walk on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). Two men were walking home when Jesus, whom they did not recognize, joined them. Hearing them express sadness and confusion about His death, the risen Lord immediately began to refer to the Old Testament Scriptures (from memory) and pointed out the prophecies concerning Him. At the end of the journey (and the conversation), their testimony was that their hearts “burned” within them when Jesus opened the Scriptures to them. We can experience that type of response only when we know the Word of God in our hearts and minds. Remember, the Word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). There can be no space between God’s written Word and its place in our hearts.
It is worth noting: the Holy Spirit has promised to bring back God’s Word to our remembrance (John 14:26). If God’s Word is not in our hearts to begin with, there is nothing to bring back.
Memorization of Scripture enriches our lives.
There is much to be said about the beauty of biblical language. Paul’s writing to the church at Colosse admonishes them to let the word of God dwell richly in them (Colossians 3:16, NKJV). To “dwell” indicates to live in, to inhabit, to take up residence. The Word of God should be second nature to the believer. It is uplifting to hear a believer of any age quote an appropriate Scripture in a specific situation. In addition, think of the impact it has on our own lives. Our language is transformed, elevated. Through our spoken words, Scripture shines a light in dark places.
Satan himself memorizes Scripture. In the garden and in the desert, he utilized Scripture to his own ends. If our mortal enemy has tools in his war chest against us, can we afford to be so ill equipped?
What is the appropriate age for memorization? The gospels indicate that at age twelve Jesus was in the temple asking the teachers questions and even answering their questions. No wonder they were filled with wonder! A Catholic priest once remarked that if he had a child until the age of seven, that child would be a Catholic all his life. I still remember the catechism I memorized at age five in Catholic school. Memorization should begin as early as possible. And yes, it is the parents’ duty to teach the child the Scriptures. No one else can be such an effective substitute.
I sometimes wonder what has happened to Scripture memorization in our Sunday schools. Elegant videos, PowerPoint presentations, and games will never replace the memorization of Scriptures in the hearts of our children. Could this be one of the reasons we are losing our young people at an alarming rate today? It is worth noting that all Hindu and Muslim aspirants to their particular ministry require them to memorize their holy scriptures by age twelve.
Coming from a Hindu background, I knew nothing about the Bible when I came to Christ at age twelve. Even though I attended Catholic schools, I had never seen a physical Bible until I came to Christ. The catechisms were Bible related, but the church did not teach the Bible itself. My first Bible was given to me by a missionary who received it from a church in the U. S.
Today, after fifty years of serving the Lord, I say without reservation that ninety percent of what I know about the Bible was handed down to me through my Sunday school teacher. With all respect to my professors in Bible college, seminary, university etc., my Sunday school teacher, with only a fifth-grade education, taught the BIBLE. Each week she would assign a particular verse to be memorized by the class. Then she would call me aside and assign a particular chapter to me. This practice was not just for one week or two, but throughout my formative years. After I became the church’s pastor at age fourteen, my Sunday school teacher became my mentor. Next to my mother, she holds the highest place of admiration and affection in my life.
With respect to the minister who indicated that Google is the answer to our scriptural needs, allow me to ask a couple of prophetic questions:
1. What would he do if Google decided the Bible is to be removed from its database because it is a “hateful” book?
2. Or worse yet, what would he do if Google would replace the authentic Bible with one of their own choosing, with all the inclusions of the present culture?
In closing, fellow pilgrims, I challenge you to be all that Christ wants you to be. Memorize those Scriptures!
About the Author
Nick Mahabir, a credentialed Open Bible minister who lives in Germantown, Maryland, is an itinerant evangelist, pastor, and teacher. He earned his master’s degree in leadership from Georgetown University and ministers as a leadership dynamics instructor for Open Bible’s Global Church Planters Academy.
Ruth Brauer spent decades wondering about the brother she never got to know. Born with Down Syndrome in the 1960s, he’d been sent away with little explanation, and she was discouraged from asking questions. After years of dead ends, a series of connections only God could have orchestrated led to the reunion she’d been praying for. Sixty years after his birth, Ruth finally saw her brother for the first time.
It was March 1960. Ruth was about to turn seven when her baby brother was born on March 8th at Iowa Methodist Hospital. The excitement of finally having a brother to join her and her three sisters quickly turned to confusion as she was unable to meet him. Later, she learned he had Down Syndrome and that doctors had advised her parents to place him in a care facility at the nearby Woodward State Hospital.
“Back in the sixties, that’s just what you did,” Ruth shared. “But I know it tore my parents apart.”
Questions about Alan were shut down. Ruth didn’t know where he was or even his exact birth date.
“I always wondered about him, but I’d get in trouble when I asked.”
Even without knowing him, Ruth had always felt drawn to him. That compassion shaped much of her life. After being invited to Journey Church in 2016 by a friend, Ruth was especially moved by the church’s outreach events for children with special needs. As a barber, her favorite clients were those with special needs, and she also volunteered for years with the Des Moines Special Olympics.
That’s where the first breakthrough came.
One day, she struck up a deeper conversation with a fellow volunteer named Ray. He mentioned he had worked at Woodward State Hospital starting in 1959. Ruth’s attention snapped into focus.
“My brother was there in 1960! His name was Alan Politsch.”
Ray’s reaction was immediate. His eyes widened and he began to walk away.
“Wait—what did I say?” Ruth called after him.
I had my hand on the table, and suddenly he was holding it.
“I’m not allowed to talk to you,” he replied. “Your parents banned me from talking to you.”
Still, she pressed him for one thing: a birthdate.
“Please, my parents are gone. I just want to find my brother.”
Before the day ended, Ray quietly gave her the month and day. It was enough to start, but not enough to get through the wall of privacy protections. Every group home she contacted turned her away.
Years passed.
Then another door opened—this time at a food pantry. Ruth shared her story with a volunteer named Bob, who offered to connect her with someone in the state department.
“They may not even call you,” he warned.
But they did.
The woman on the phone didn’t give her name, but simply said, “Bob said I needed to hear your story.” Ruth told her everything she knew: names, dates, places, family history. Weeks later, the phone rang again.
“Hi, this is Michelle,” the voice said. “I’m Alan’s guardian.”
Tears falling, Ruth began to speak.
“I don’t want to take anything from you. I just want to know he’s okay… maybe see a picture. And someday, maybe meet him.”
As she spoke, Ruth’s phone began to ping. Michelle was sending photos.
The call came in 2021, but it would take almost two years to build enough trust for a visit.
In August of 2023, Ruth was invited to a staff meeting at Alan’s care facility. As she sat in the room with nine other employees staring at her, Michelle walked into the room, Alan beside her, and guided him to the seat right next to Ruth.
I always felt like he was close by,” Ruth said. “I just didn’t know he was five miles away my whole life.
“He kept looking at me, nodding, with this little crooked smile,” Ruth said. “I had my hand on the table, and suddenly he was holding it.”
A nurse watching over video spoke up: “He knows you’re his sister.”
The bond was immediate and mutual.
“I always felt like he was close by,” Ruth said. “I just didn’t know he was five miles away my whole life.”
Since that day, they’ve spent birthdays and holidays together.
“He’s the best,” she said. “He fits right under my arm—he’s tiny. He loves Santa, the color red, Coke, and sunglasses.”
But the reunion has come with weight, too. Now 66, Alan’s health is declining, and Ruth has been asked to help plan his funeral.
“I just found him,” she said. “And now I’m helping plan his funeral… But he’s mine. He’s my baby brother. The one I waited for when I was seven.”
Looking back, Ruth continues to uncover the fingerprints of God. Ray, the man who first gave her Alan’s birthdate, later shared that he had cared for Alan during his first sixteen years at the hospital.
What are the odds?
When asked what this journey has taught her, Ruth doesn’t hesitate:
“Patience, persistence, prayer, and people.” That’s what it took to find her brother, and it’s what the Lord provided along the way.
Some stories don’t unfold quickly. Many of them take time, and it’s only later that we realize how God was working in our waiting. Ruth’s story serves as a reminder that no prayer is forgotten, no relationship is beyond reach, and that even in life’s chapters that feel long or uneventful, God is still writing.
About the Author
Hannah Bemis currently serves as the editor and director of Message of the Open Bible. She always wanted to do too many things when she grew up, and God has been kind enough to let her do most of them in different seasons. After seasons of mothering, teaching, writing, and staff pastoring, Hannah’s most recent adventure is planting and pastoring College Street Church in Newberg, Oregon, with her husband, Jordan. After Jesus and all her favorite people, she spends the remainder of her passion on pizza and dark chocolate in equal measure.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).
There is a quiet invitation woven through these words – an invitation into constant, total dependence on God. We often imagine maturity as having our act together, managing our lives with unshakable strength. But in God’s kingdom, maturity looks nothing like self-reliance. It looks like surrender.
… in God’s kingdom, maturity looks nothing like self-reliance. It looks like surrender.
Just as valleys are watered with rain and become fruitful while lofty mountains remain dry, so it is with our hearts. The low places – the humbling, honest valleys – are where God’s grace pools and grows us. The heights of self-confidence, the illusions that we’ve got everything under control, stay barren.
Grace is not just God’s favor; it is His love set in motion toward us. When Paul begged God to remove the thorn in his life, God didn’t take it away. He gave Paul something far more powerful: grace. Sometimes relief comes by His removing the burden, but sometimes God strengthens the shoulders that carry it.
This past year, I’ve walked through my own valleys in ways I could never have anticipated. An abnormal mammogram led to surgery, which revealed breast cancer. By God’s miraculous hand, the tumor was removed completely, with clear margins and no spread although the tumor was dangerously close to my lymph nodes – a reminder of God’s perfect timing, protection, and faithfulness.
But the challenges didn’t end there. Amid cancer treatment, autoimmune flare-ups, and the toll on my body, I experienced alarming numbness on the left side of my face, suddenly losing strength in my left arm and leg. A trip to the ER revealed a nearly blocked right carotid artery, a tear likely caused by a fall I’d taken months prior, and a blood clot that could have caused a massive stroke.
Yet in the middle of chaos as we prepared for worst case scenarios, God’s grace showed up. Within a day of their being detected, scans revealed that both the clot and tear were gone. Every doctor involved was astonished. I was walking, speaking, and moving with minimal effects – a miracle too clear to dismiss.
In these moments, I’ve learned that we don’t truly trust God’s grace until we first admit we are insufficient. It’s easier to believe in grace for the past or the future. But grace for this moment, right here, in the pressing reality of fear, pain, and uncertainty, requires a present-tense, radical faith.
God didn’t just supplement my strength; He became my strength. He reminded me that the thorn doesn’t defeat us; it becomes the doorway through which His glory steps in. My husband, family, friends, and the countless prayers lifted on my behalf became vessels of God’s love, reminding me that what looks like an ending is often where He does His best work.
… the thorn doesn’t defeat us; it becomes the doorway through which His glory steps in.
Through lingering numbness and nerve pain in my face (Trigeminal neuralgia), vision issues in my left eye, and the exhaustion of hospital stays and oncology appointments, God has been teaching me to release my grip on self-sufficiency. Every test, every scan, every unknown has been a lesson in dependence, a sacred invitation to rest fully in Him. He meets us in both the dramatic and the mundane.
As we face uncertainty and continue to navigate treatments, recoveries, and the unknown, the same promise remains: His grace is sufficient. His power is made perfect in weakness. My valleys have become fertile soil, and in surrendering, I’ve discovered strength I never possessed alone.
To anyone reading this, let this be a challenge and an encouragement: don’t wait for the mountains to feel secure. Step into your valley. Admit your insufficiency. Rest in grace. Let God’s power carry you through the moments you cannot handle on your own. Because in the valleys, in the weakness, God is not just present – He is gloriously, powerfully enough.
About the Author
Sarah Holsapple serves on staff at her church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the Creative & Spiritual Development Director. She serves alongside her husband of almost twenty years, Harris, who is the lead pastor at First Open Bible. Sarah has been teaching and preaching for several years. She’s passionate about discipleship and women’s ministry and served as the Regional Women’s Director for Open Bible Central Region. One of her favorite things in life is being a mom to her two incredible children, Hudson and Lynnley Jo.
The last several years for Sarah have been the hardest of her life. She truly knows the depths of heartbreak and what it feels like to wrestle through healing. She has seen God move in miraculous ways and has experienced great comfort in knowing that we serve a faithful God. Sarah feels great joy in sharing encouragement from the word of God, seeing lives changed and people set free!
My wife, Leona, was at an eye exam, and I was waiting in the lobby when a good-looking couple walked in. Thinking they were Hispanic, I greeted them in Spanish. With a look of surprise, they responded that they didn’t understand. Noticing their accent, I asked what language they spoke. “Arabic,” they replied. They were from Cairo, Egypt.
“I was just there!” I exclaimed. We introduced ourselves, and when they asked about my trip, I explained that I had gone to teach at INSTE Global Bible College. As we talked, we discovered common ground—Youssef and Fatima are both college professors, and Leona and I also work in higher education.
When the conversation turned to food, my Italian roots—revealed by my surname—caught their interest. I asked them what their favorite Italian dish was. “We love eggplant parmesan,” they answered.
“Would you come to our house for dinner if I made that?” I asked. They gladly accepted. When Leona’s appointment ended, we compared calendars and set a date to host Youssef, Fatima, and their four sons.
At home we talked about what to do with our dog Barney. Living in a townhome, we couldn’t put him outside. Knowing that Muslims traditionally view dogs as unclean, we decided to banish Barney to our finished basement during the visit.
Before dinner, we explained our custom of thanking God for our food. They understood, appreciating that we blessed them also in our prayer. Conversation flowed easily as we shared the meal. Afterward, the younger boys, full of energy, spotted the basement stairs. Leona explained about Barney, assuring Fatima that he was friendly. With her permission, the boys bounded downstairs to play with one very happy dog. The older boys preferred the TV room to watch football, while we lingered at the table with Youssef and Fatima, enjoying the chance to connect as fellow educators. Our first dinner together was a success.
As Fatima and Leona washed the dishes, the conversation was salted with quotes from the Koran and the Bible…
That Thanksgiving, we invited the family back to share in a traditional holiday meal. Barney had a sleepover at Leona’s sister’s house this time. We set the table for a 1:00 p.m. feast, but our guests were delayed returning from Wisconsin and arrived closer to 5:00. Once gathered, we enjoyed another rich time together.
Leona and Fatima washed dishes side by side, as Youssef and I chatted in the living room. All four boys bundled into the TV room to watch sports. Later, gathered by the fireplace, Youssef asked, “Does the Bible talk about the end of the world?” He was genuinely interested in comparing Christian and Muslim viewpoints on the end times. We had a very interesting conversation that evening! It was 11:00 p.m. when six-year-old Ahmed sleepily stumbled from the TV room, asking, “Can we go home now?” Shortly thereafter, we said good night to our guests with gratitude for another memorable evening.
Months later, Youssef and Fatima invited us to their home for the Muslim celebration of Eid, marking the close of Ramadan. Fatima had prepared the traditional feast of Egyptian dishes. We arrived in time to count down to sunset, and then the banquet began. As Fatima and Leona washed the dishes, the conversation was salted with quotes from the Koran and the Bible as Fatima explained Eid. The rest of the evening was filled with relaxing conversation, along with plans to get together for the Fourth of July.
Friendship and food opened doors for evangelism.
Our last gathering was at Christmas. Once again, we shared a meal, meaningful conversation, and plenty of laughter. Wanting to give them New Testaments in a respectful way, we sought guidance from friends experienced in ministry to Muslims. Following their advice, we wrapped the books beautifully, adding a heartfelt note expressing our joy in their friendship. We presented the gifts as they left that evening. Though we haven’t heard from them since, we often remember Youssef, Fatima, and their boys in prayer. Friendship and food opened doors for evangelism. We learned that sensitivity to cultural and religious differences keeps those doors open, and above all, we were reminded to live out 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (NIV).
About the Authors
Leona K. Venditti, EdD, and Nicholas A Venditti, PhD, met in Madrid, Spain. In 1982, Leona was sent by Open Bible’s Department of Global Missions to start a training program which has since grown into INSTE Global Bible College. It has expanded to more than forty countries and eighteen languages. Together, the Vendittis continue to “make disciples and develop leaders” both nationally and globally as they mentor many cross-cultural followers of Jesus.