This is the first in a series of articles in which I will chronicle my pursuit of memorizing Scripture. I want to discuss methods and transparently reveal my successes, failures, and the impact the exercise has on me. I say exercise, but lest you think this is a mere didactic curiosity of mine, know that I am integrating this into the fabric of my life as a defining habit.

Perhaps you recognized that the title of this article is the opening line of the Psalms. I have always been captivated by Psalm 1—perhaps because it provides the thesis for the whole collection, or perhaps because I struggle to engage and stay motivated through all the psalms (something that has changed dramatically for me recently). My determination to memorize Scripture is a product of much reflection on the content of Psalm 1. Let’s have a look at how it opens.

Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law will he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the waterside, that will bring forth his fruit in due season. His leaf also shall not wither; and look, whatever he does, it shall prosper.

In this psalm of David, we are given a picture of a man who is truly blessed—what he does and what he does not do. I point out that the psalm is written about a man in particular not because it cannot apply to all humanity, but because the prototypical man of Psalm 1 is Jesus Christ himself (and the original languages are unambiguous). The picture of blessing is interesting. Instead of anthropomorphizing an object—attributing human characteristics to a non-human entity—the anthropos (human) is given the characteristics of a plant. The blessed or happy man is like a tree nourished by living waters (i.e. flowing waters). The tree, receiving its life from the waters, in turn yields life as it bears fruit reliably.

At the center of the tree-man’s blessing, indeed the core practice that yields all the signs of blessing, is the delight in and the meditation on the law of the Lord. The Septuagint (LXX) alternately translates “delight in” by saying that his will is in the law of the Lord, putting “delight” and “will” in an insightful parallel. Perhaps delight is not something we are helpless to direct, but can, in fact, be something we cultivate through willing the good found in the law.

But what is this law? In the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT), we see the word torah, while the Greek LXX employs nomos. Torah is a word with two prominent senses—law and instruction. However, since the first five books of Moses are also referred to as the Torah, it has the additional synecdochical sense of referring to the whole collection of Holy Scripture. The Greek term, to my knowledge, does not share other senses beyond “law.” It functions in the place of “torah” in the New Testament writings, especially in the discourses of Jesus. As the translation of the Hebrew word, it imports the same connotations. As Paul says to the Romans, Christ is the end and fulfillment of the nomos (Rom 10:4). Jesus himself says this in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:17). Paul also speaks of τὸν νόμον τοῦ χριστοῦ (ton nomon tou christou), or “the law of Christ” in Galatians 6:2. The law of Psalm 1 is nothing less than the Word, instruction, and commandments of God revealed through Holy Scripture and ultimately incarnated into time and space by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary as Jesus Christ himself.

Now we come to the core practice of the happy man: he meditates day and night on the law—in other words “without ceasing.” But what kind of “meditation” does he practice? Here in the United States, the word itself often brings to mind a distorted picture of a commercialized Buddhist practice directed towards self-help goals like stress reduction. This kind of meditation is different. Think instead of contemplation. If you meditate on the law, then the words of the law will be on your heart and your lips day and night, when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You will hold it in your mind, turn it over, test it with questions, and ponder it alone on your bed and in the community. This kind of meditation is the means by which we receive the blessing of the Word.

This age does not encourage a life lived with ample space to reflect. The face of our master and commander is none other than our calendar, and it is a ruthless taskmaster. But how can we learn if we do not reflect? And how can we reflect if we lack a quiet moment where our thoughts are not stifled? And how can redeem the moments given to us when our delight is in distraction? Reflection is a virtue. Stillness is essential. Our will must be in the Word.

I’ve spent the last several years trying to get Scripture into my head through reading, study, podcasts, sermons, and anything else I can get my hands on. This time has not been fruitless by any account. But I still long for greater understanding. I want it deeper within me. I want the Scripture embedded in my heart. I want to have the living water flowing through the center of me so I can become like the tree of life. So I have begun memorizing Scripture, and in particular the Psalms of David. Not just memorizing them, but reciting them throughout the day or pairing a psalm with a routine action so that together they become an offering of praise and thanksgiving as well as a living meditation.

It is important to me to set goals in order to organize a plan of action. So the idea occurred to me to memorize the entire psalter, but in a reasonable amount of time for a working father of two. I plan to memorize all 150 psalms in 10 years. This means I ought to memorize an average of 15 psalms each year. In one psalter I own, this amounts to 215 pages over 10 years, or 21.5 pages per year. That is less than 2 pages per month. I started pursuing this goal in the final quarter of 2023, and it appears the pace is sustainable. I try to read through the psalter each month, so I have been picking out the psalms that are most applicable for recitation as my 2024 liturgy. The list is not finalized, but here is a preview of the working list (using MT numbering):

  1. Psalm 1
    Hopefully the importance of this psalm to me is apparent.

  2. Psalm 51
    This is the great penitential psalm of David after his sin with Bathsheeba. It has routine prayer application, but it is also a great psalm to hallow your time in the shower. The themes of cleansing can be put into physical meditation—“create in me a clean heart, O God…”

  3. Psalm 110
    This is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament. It is a theological linchpin.

  4. Psalm 121
    If we are to take “a song of ascent” as a possible hymn for ascending/traveling to a Jerusalem feast, this is a quintessential travel psalm. The theme of the Lord as our keeper is very potent and can be said each time you enter your car before you set out.

  5. Psalm 91
    This psalm is read at sext (midday) in the eastern traditions and at compline (bedtime) in the western traditions. It was quoted by the devil to Jesus during his temptation in the wilderness, and curiously enough, the lines immediately following that quotation speak of treading on serpents, lions, dragons and basilisks (depending on your translation). If you look into the Hebrew in context of the neighboring gods, you’ll find several of those gods mentioned by name. It is nothing less than a powerful psalm of exorcism that finds its greatest fulfillment in Christ’s victory trampling the serpent and opening the way for us into His victory.

I have a few more that are probable choices, but the list won’t be finalized until the beginning of 2024. I have been locked in an internal debate over which translation of the psalms I intend to stick to, or whether or not to cherry pick my own anthology. I expect this may not be an issue for many who spend their time in one bible translation. Such is not the case for me, and I find the differences endlessly fascinating. While I plan for precision, getting the psalms into my heart is the goal and not word-for-word accuracy. I will share more on my technique, but suffice it to say that careful study is integral so that memorization imperfections avoid any great theological distortions, Lord willing.

I pray that sharing this and subsequent articles will inspire you to join me in general, but especially in this particular goal to learn the Psalms. Change the plan from 10 years to 15 or even 30 to make it more approachable. You can always scale the plan up or down as you see fit. But make it part of your day. Set your will on this meditation of the law of the Lord, and may it bless you.

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.