As summer winds down, kids become anxious about going back to school. Besides the prospect of tests and assignments, one factor that tends to provoke dread, is rote memorization. Memorizing dates, names, equations, chemicals etc. is generally viewed as tedious. Many associate all memorization with the memory efforts required of them in school. It was work, and most of it was uninteresting and of limited value. Frequently heard, also, is the excuse of having a bad memory. But what if I offered you one thousand dollars for every verse you could memorize in the next seven days? Do you think your attitude toward Scripture memory and your ability to memorize would improve? Any financial reward would be minimal when compared to the accumulating value of the treasure of God’s word deposited within your mind. (Donald S. Whitney. Spiritual Disciples for the Christian Life. Navpress. 1994. p.25)
The writer of proverbs said:
Proverbs 22:17-19 [17]Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, [18]for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. [19]That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you. (ESV)
The reason why scripture is not a mere list of do’s and don’ts is that we may see real people interact with a real God. For the word of God to be within us, ready on our lips and result in trusting the Lord, we need to understand what exactly was said and to whom. That context is spelled on in a real situation of Joshua and the people of God.
In Joshua 1, Israel was about to undertake a great enterprise as they entered the land of Canaan. This land had been promised for centuries, and the Pentateuch points repeatedly to it. Now the time had come for the nation to enter the land and take possession of their inheritance. But before they could do this, they needed to undertake several steps of preparation. That preparation meant internalizing the promises of God, realizing the one who had made the promises and having the fruit of that digested word flow through their hearts, minds and actions.
Joshua 1 gives practical guidance in hiding the word in our heart that we may know God, His ways, and our way of life. In Memorizing God’s word, we can obtain: 1) Encouragement from God’s Commission (Joshua 1:1–2). 2) Encouragement from God’s Promises (Joshua 1:3–6), and 3) Encouragement from God’s Written Word (Joshua 1:7–9)
In Memorizing God’s word, we can obtain:
1) Encouragement from God’s Commission (Joshua 1:1–2).
Joshua 1:1-2 [1:1]After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, [2]"Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. (ESV)
The Book of Joshua begins as though it were a continuation of something written previously, which, of course, it is. The phrase “the death of Moses” ties this material in with an earlier event (which is recounted in the preceding chapter in the Bible: Deut 34:1–8). The death of Moses occurred c. 1405 B.C. (Criswell, W. A., Patterson, P., Clendenen, E. R., Akin, D. L., Chamberlin, M., Patterson, D. K., & Pogue, J. (Eds.). (1991). Believer’s Study Bible (electronic ed., Jos 1:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
• What we find when we become familiar with the narratives of scripture, like other genres, is that the word is not merely a list of rules or irrelevant history, but a living testimony to a living God. We find real people, dealing with real problems and a real God.
Moses’ death was an important event in the life of the new nation of Israel. Yet Moses’ death should not cripple the nation. The Lord was faithful in all ages, and he would be in this instance as well. Joshua was designated as Moses’ successor, and the people were to carry on under him. As one scholar notes, “Yahweh’s fidelity does not hinge on the achievement of men, however gifted they may be, nor does it evaporate in the face of funerals or rivers.” (D. R. Davis, No Falling Words: Expositions of the Book of Joshua (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988), 18.)
Moses was the great lawgiver and leader par excellence. He is here called the “servant of the LORD.” This labeling of Moses as the Lord’s servant is important in the Book of Joshua, since Joshua, for whom the book is named, is only called the “servant of the LORD” once, at the end of the book (24:29). The Book of Joshua is concerned with showing how God’s earlier promises were now in process of being fulfilled and with how God’s commands were being carried out. Many of these promises and commands were spoken by Moses, who is depicted in this book as the Lord’s special servant.
• By committing the promises and commands of God to heart we are more apt to be comforted in trouble and directed to action. When a crisis erupts, in many ways our mind does not process new information at the moment. Unless we have already hid the word in our heart, we will be overly troubled and lost in a sea of new choices.
God is referred to in this verse as “the LORD.” This rendering, found in most English versions (as well as the Septuagint, which renders it kurios, “lord”), obscures the fact that here is God’s personal name, which most scholars today agree was pronounced “Yahweh.” This is the most holy, personal name of God, revealing much of his character (W. Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961), 1:178–205.)
It is the name whose meaning was revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exod 3:11–15; cf. 6:2–3), and it tells us about God’s eternal existence and his enduring faithfulness to his people (U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Exodus (Jerusalem: Magnes, 1967), 35–40).
Joshua may have felt a sense of loneliness, and waited expectantly near the Jordan River to hear the voice of God. He was not disappointed. When God’s servants take time to listen, He always communicates. In the present Age He usually speaks through His written Word. But in the Old Testament He spoke in dreams by night, in visions by day, through the high priest, and occasionally in an audible voice (Campbell, D. K. (1985). Joshua. (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Eds.)The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 327–328). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.).
Moses renamed Hoshea (meaning ‘Salvation’) Joshua, which means ‘The LORD is salvation’ (Nu. 13:16). The name later became yēšûa whence the Greek Iēsous, and the English, ‘Jesus’ (Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., Jos 1:1). Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press.).
Joshua is the first person in the Bible to be explicitly given a name that incorporates God’s holy, personal name, “Yahweh.”
• Christ identified Himself as the logos, or word of God. If we are going to bear the name of Christ in our identification as Christians then it behooves us to know and commit His word to heart.
God stated in v. 2 that he was “about to give” the land to the Israelites (“I am giving”). The pronouns are plural, embracing not just Joshua, but all Israel. In one sense God was still in process of giving Israel the land. After all, Israel had not yet even crossed the Jordan River, and only the land east of the Jordan actually had been taken by Israel. V 2 reads literally, ‘Now arise, cross …’ (i.e. ‘cross immediately, do not delay’. Christ commands the church: ‘Follow me’, and he too allows no procrastination (Lk. 9:59–62) (Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., Jos 1:2–9). Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press.).
For Joshua, this was a formidable command, and everybody acquainted with the local geography, as also later readers of this book, would have understood it so. The river Jordan had a separating rather than a connecting function, running through a deep gorge which may be called the earth’s deepest valley (E. G. Kraeling, Rand McNally Bible Atlas (1956), p. 26.).
The Jordan flows into the Dead Sea, which lies 1286 feet below sea level. The river runs through a wider trough called the Ghor, within which is a narrower depression of one hundred feet or more in depth, forming the actual river bottom. In addition to these forbidding features the absolute level of the river valley is greatly enhanced by the mountains on both sides. The slopes are generally steep and sudden, sometimes forming huge precipices. Also note 3:15, which points to the river’s swollen condition at the time of the crossing. Thus the miracle of the Lord’s giving of the land is anticipated effectively by the writer’s recalling of the Lord’s command (Woudstra, M. H. (1981). The Book of Joshua. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (p. 58). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
• In coming to the memorization of scripture, it may seem like a great mountain to climb with multiple obstacles. It all starts in faith. How do you begin to climb a mountain? With one step. How do you begin to memorize scripture? With one verse.
Please turn to Psalm 37 (p.466)
Most of the land remained to be taken. But in another sense God had already given Israel the land. It is as though Israel already possessed legal title to the land (ever since Abraham’s day), but they were awaiting God’s timing for the actual possession. In Gen 15:16 God promised Abraham that it would be several generations before his descendants would actually possess the land, since “the sin of the Amorites [i.e., Canaanites] has not yet reached its full measure.”
Psalm 37:29-31 [29]The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. [30]The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. [31]The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.(ESV)
• Although Scripture has been given originally to previous generations, many of the promises are yet to be fulfilled. In one sense we have the guarantees of fulfillment and in another they are awaiting God’s timing. In memorizing scripture we internalize our commission to seize the promises of God.
Illustration: The Value of God’s Promises
We never face any life-situation for which God has not supplied specific promises that give us mercy and grace to help in time of need. The old Puritan Thomas Watson put it very quaintly in a sermon to his little congregation in England on Sunday, August 17, 1662: Trade much in the promises. The promises are great supports to faith. Faith lives in a promise, as the fish lives in the water. The promises are both comforting and quickening, the very breast of the gospel; as the child by sucking the breasts gets strength, so faith by sucking the breast of a promises gets strength and revives. The promises of God are bladders (flotation devices) to keep us from sinking when we come to the waters of affliction. O! trade much in the promises; there is no condition that you can be in, but you have a promise.
J. I. Packer comes round to the same point in his book Knowing God: In the days when the Bible was universally acknowledged in the churches as “God’s Word written,” it was clearly understood that the promises recorded in Scripture were the proper, God-given basis for all our life of faith, and that the way to strengthen one’s faith was to focus it upon particular promises that spoke to one’s condition (J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 103.)
In Memorizing God’s word, we can obtain:
2) Encouragement from God’s Promises (Joshua 1:3–6)
Joshua 1:3-6 [3]Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. [4]From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. [5]No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. [6]Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. (ESV)
Verse 3 ends by stating that this gift of the land was in fulfillment of God’s promise to Moses. The perfect, “I have given,” refers to the counsel of God as having been formed long before, and being now about to be carried into execution. These words, which are connected with Deut. 11:24, so far as the form is concerned, rest upon the promise of God in Ex. 23:30, 31, to which the words “just as I have promised/said to Moses” refer (Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 22). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.).
• Just as the land and promises have been given by God, in memorizing scripture we have the gift of God as embodied by His promises. When we memorize these we begin to see the unfolding of the promises, as well as help our understanding and excite our expectation of future fulfillment.
The extent of the land that God was giving Israel is detailed in v. 4, a “map” of sorts. That is a big command! Just how big sinks in when we note that the Jordan and its valley are part of the Great Rift that stretches all the way from Turkey down into Malawi and Mozambique in southeast Africa. This rift is such a deep gash down the face of the earth that it can be seen from the moon (Harstad, A. L. (1991). Joshua. The People’s Bible (p. 18). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.).
• 2 Timothy 3:16 [16]All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (ESV)
• Memorizing scripture helps one comprehend the depth and breadth of this tableau.
The description in Joshua 1:4, is general, giving the southern and northern boundaries first: “the wilderness/desert” in the south and “Lebanon” in the north. “The wilderness/desert is a generic term that may refer in the Old Testament to any barren area; the reference here to a southern desert is deduced from the context. “Lebanon” is roughly what is present-day Lebanon, north of Israel, including two mountain ranges. Lebanon is not visible near at hand to someone east of the Jordan. The statement “this Lebanon,” then, may have been an ironic one, intended to emphasize the inclusion of this (not-visible) land.
• Taking scripture to memory will not seem beneficial at first. It may indeed seem to be an unnecessary chore. The benefit is not presently seen. The result, will be the presently unforeseen benefit.
Please turn to Deuteronomy 6 (p.151)
Verse five is the spiritual climax and highlight of the first part of God’s charge to Joshua. It is a heart-warming promise to Joshua himself that (1) his and the Israelites’ efforts would succeed and (2) God would never leave him. It is doubly encouraging when we see that God promised to be with Joshua in the same way that he was with Moses. The words in the first part of the verse are identical to those in God’s promise to Moses in Deut 7:24b: “No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them.” The promise is repeated almost verbatim in Deut 11:25a: “No man will be able to stand against you.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-12 [4]"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5]You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6]And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7]You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8]You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9]You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. [10]"And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you--with great and good cities that you did not build, [11]and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant--and when you eat and are full, [12]then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (ESV)
God’s impressive promise to Joshua in the second half of the verse that he would be with him just as he was with Moses. The words “I will be with you” recall identical promises made to Isaac (Gen 26:3), Jacob (31:3), Moses (Exod 3:12), and Joshua himself (Deut 31:8, 23). God’s promise that I will not leave you or forsake you can be seen when Jesus told his disciples that “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:19–20), showing that God’s presence was not just promised to particular generations, but to every generation of faithful believers.
• When we store His word in our hearts He is with us, He dwells in our thoughts and minds. His Holy Spirit enflames that word to our hearts. We can have some of the closest fellowship when we memorize His word.
John 14:26 [26]But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (ESV)
The verbs in verse 6 “to be strong and courageous” are actually similar in meaning. The primary meaning for both verbs is given in BDB and HALOT as be strong, firm, stout” (s. v.). NJPSV renders the clause as “be strong and resolute,” God was echoing identical exhortations that he and Moses gave to Joshua earlier (Deut 31:6, 7, 23). With these words Moses had exhorted the people (Deut 31:6), the people would exhort Joshua (Josh 1:18), and Joshua would later encourage the people (10:25). Each statement is accompanied by an assurance that God would be with Joshua or the Israelites, or that he would fight for them. The need for Joshua to be strong and resolute was acute because he was the instrument for the people to inherit the land.
• When we have memorized scripture, we have the best tool for the mutual edification of others. A word from scripture or a story of faithfulness can be the tool that God uses to comfort and guide another. It’s the most effective lifeline and the strongest sword for battle. If our fellow warriors have dropped their shield or sword, let us have one hidden in our hearts to give.
Colossians 3:16 [16]Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (ESV)
Illustration: John Piper has preached to thousands around the world, wrote dozens of books, started a seminary and continues to minister through his ministry entitled: “Desiring God”. One factor that stands out in his ministry is his regard for the memorization of scripture.
He said: “I believe that the Bible teaches us to memorize scripture the way an ant gathers food in summer: because it is so valuable and will be needed in the winter months. “[The ant] prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:8). Memorizing scripture is not a discipline for its own sake. It is because the scriptures are a treasure and will be needed before the day is done to help you escape a sinful attitude and live a life that glorifies God”. (http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/thy-word-i-have-treasured-in-my-heart)
When we memorize scripture, we are not only prepared for the personal events of our lives but equipped to minister to the needs of others, be it in guidance, comfort or calling to faith.
Finally, in Memorizing God’s word, we can obtain:
3) Encouragement from God’s Written Word (Joshua 1:7–8)
Joshua 1:7-9 [7]Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. [8]This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. [9]Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (ESV)
In a paragraph of this length, the amount of space devoted to keeping the law might seem to be disproportionate (about half: forty-five of ninety-two words); however, keeping the law would be the key to Joshua’s success. It is striking that God’s instructions here to Joshua are not about military matters, given that Joshua and the Israelites faced many battles ahead. However, the keys to his success were spiritual, directly related to the degree of his obedience to God. The keys to Joshua’s success were the same as those for a king: being rooted in God’s word rather than depending upon military might (Deut 17:14–20, esp. vv. 16, 18–19) (G. Gerbrandt, Kingship according to the Deuteronomistic History, SBLDS 87 (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1986),)
• How do we conquer doubt and opposition? By the Word of God. How did Jesus battle Satan (Mt. 4:3-4), and believers through time battle their doubts and fears? By the word of God. Before we would know how to handle our kids, our boss, or our doubts and fears, we need to internalize the word of God before battle.
The command in v. 7 to “be strong and very courageous/resolute” is to ensure Joshua’s scrupulous obedience to the law of Moses. The command for “being careful to do according to all the law” translates the verbs šmr and ʿśh. The first, šmr, means “to keep, observe,” and the second, ʿśh, means “to do, obey.” The essential relationship between faith and obedience is illustrated here. Faith is confidence based on God’s promise (v. 6), and such faith issues in obedience (v. 7) (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Jos 1:7). Nashville: T. Nelson.)
• Regardless of how highly we regard scripture, unless we read, study, memorize and meditate upon it, it will do us no good.
Second, mediation was an activity that was done aloud. This is why God told Joshua in verse 8, that this lawbook should not leave his mouth (as opposed to, e.g., his heart or his mind). The ancient practice of reading aloud to oneself as an aid to memorization is in view here (Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Jos 1:8). Biblical Studies Press.).
The mouth is for eating. God’s Teaching is to be “chewed,” “swallowed,” and “digested” so that it becomes part of the person’s very self in thought and action. The mouth is also for speaking. The one who has received God’s Teaching in his mouth must also teach, warn, and encourage others (Josh. 8:34–35; cf. Jer. 1:9; 15:6; Ezek. 2:8–3:3) (Hamlin, E. J. (1983). Inheriting the land: a commentary on the book of Joshua. International Theological Commentary (p. 6). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.).
The phrase “from your mouth” literally refers to the custom of muttering while studying or reflecting. The Hebrew word translated “meditate” (hāg̱āh) literally means “mutter.” When one continually mutters God’s Word to himself, he is constantly thinking about it (Madvig, D. H. (1992). Joshua. (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.)The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 3: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (p. 257). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
• Before we would mediate upon the word, it must be first in us. What we find in scripture that the spiritual disciplines of memorization, rest, prayer, fasting, solitude, gratitude, mediation, and service all tie together, but they all start with scripture.
The command to “mediate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written is it”, is not the one commonly familiar in the late twentieth century, namely, of emptying the mind and concentrating on nothing or on self or on visualizations of various types; much of this type of meditation is indebted to Eastern mystic religions. Rather, the Old Testament concept of meditation involves two things: First, a focus upon God himself (Ps 63:6 [Hb.7]), his works (Pss 77:12 [Hb. 13]; 143:5), or his law (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2). “Meditate” (הגה), “does not mean theoretical speculation about the law, such as the Pharisees indulged in, but a practical study of the law, for the purpose of observing it in thought and action, or carrying it out with the heart, the mouth, and the hand” (C. F. Keil. The Book of Joshua [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975 reprint], 30).
Joshua was to “be careful to do/obey according to all that is written in it.” This represents something permanent, since it was written down
• When we recopy sections of scripture out, on a card or screen, it helps engrain the relevant portion to our mind. The combination of knowing the story, characters, plot, purpose , writing down reciting aloud , all combine for an effective mnemonic, that helps the brain both process and remember scripture.
Please turn to 1 Chronicles 22 (p.351)
The result (ʾāz, “then”) of Joshua’s keeping the law was that it would “make his way prosperous, and then he would have good success”. Joshua’s obedience to God’s will (vv. 7–8) and God’s presence with him (v. 9) guaranteed this. The Hebrew roots in question here are ṣlḥ (“prosperous”) and śkl (“have good success”). The first term occurs sixty-nine times in the Old Testament, and the majority of the time (fifty-nine times) it means “to prosper [or, better, “to succeed”] in one’s endeavors,” almost always because of God’s gracious and ever-present hand. The second term in Josh 1:8 to (śkl, “have good success”) occurs a total of seventy-eight times in the Old Testament (as a verb or a noun), most commonly with the meaning of “have insight, understanding, be wise.” In ten or eleven cases—including twice here in Josh 1:7–8—it means “to have success.” And, in these cases, almost without exception, success is to be achieved because individuals seek the Lord earnestly or carefully obey his commandments. (D. P. Bricker, “The Doctrine of the ‘Two Ways’ in Proverbs,” JETS 38 (1995): 501–17.)
1 Chronicles 22:9-13 [9]Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. [10]He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.' [11]"Now, my son, the LORD be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he has spoken concerning you. [12]Only, may the LORD grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the LORD your God. [13]Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. (ESV)
Many Christians mistakenly read these and other passages as guarantees that all Christians will (or should!) succeed in every venture they undertake and that they will prosper financially if they are truly following God. Christians who do not succeed, or who are not financially well off, are condemned as living in some persistent sin or lacking in proper faith. But it is the internalization of God’s word itself that helps us avoid sin:
Psalm 119:11 [11]I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (esv)
Finally, God’s charge to Joshua ends in verse 9, by reiterating words of encouragement and commitment (vv. 5–6). Joshua was not to fear or be discouraged precisely because the Almighty God promised him his presence.
Quote: I want to close with a quote about God’s presence and words of comfort and encouragement. John Piper wrote: “Most of us are emotionally crippled—all of us, really. We do not experience God in the fullness of our emotional potential. How will that change? One way is to memorize the emotional expressions of the Bible and speak them to the Lord and to each other until they become part of who we are. For example, in Psalm 103:1, we say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” That is not a natural expression for many people. But if we memorize this and other emotional expressions from the Bible, and say them often, asking the Lord to make the emotion real in our hearts, we can actually grow into that emotion and expression. It will become part of who we are. We will be less emotionally crippled and more able to render proper praise and thanks to God”. (http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/why-memorize-scripture)
(Format Note: Outline from Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Strong. “Be” Commentary Series (pp. 21–27). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. Some base commentary from Howard, D. M., Jr. (1998). Joshua. The New American Commentary (Vol. 5, pp. 69–90). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
