My secret to memorizing the Word

Ricky Ketchum

Jun 29, 2026

The Word Is Very Near You

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But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

Deuteronomy 30:14 (ESV)

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Another case for memorizing Scripture.

It’s the preferred way to keep the Word near you.

Nowadays with the availability of print Bibles and even our smartphones, we have access to the Word all the time.

…Or do we?

I don’t know about you, but anytime a massive temptation wave comes across my life I’m never in a convenient spot to grab my Bible off the nightstand nor do I think about opening the Bible app and reading it on my phone.

If the Word is around me but not in me, how close is it, really?

Moses tells the people here to keep the Word in their hearts and mouths.

Well, that takes a lot of planning and work.

They have to spend the time around the precious few scrolls containing the Word and they would have to memorize it. Likely by hearing it read aloud and committing it to memory.

Maybe a few lucky ones would actually get to read God’s Word.

Now? I like to write memorization verses on perforated blank business cards and go through a stack of about 30 to review every day.

That’s my secret to memorizing the Word:

Write it out. Add it to the stack. Go through the stack after my daily Bible reading.

Takes about five or ten minutes.

Not much of a sacrifice to get the eternal Word of the Lord near me.

— Ricky Ketchum

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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