“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” (Psalm 119:11).

Scripture admonishes every believer to store up God’s Word in their heart.  Colossians 3:16: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.”  In Matthew 4:4, Jesus taught that we live “by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.”  John tells us in 1 John 2 “to let the Word of God abide in us.”  And Jesus said in John 8 that His disciples are those who have “the Word of God abiding in them.”  And so we read in Psalm 119:11: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!”

Our text teaches us the importance of storing God’s Word in our heart so that we will not sin against our God; and we do this by memorizing Scripture.  Through memorization the Holy Spirit writes the Word of God upon our heart and in this way the Holy Spirit guides our lives by His Word.  That’s why the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  You see, without the Word of God dwelling in our heart we will never be able to live a life that pleases the Lord.  

It’s not the closed Bible at home that gives you strength when the doctor gives you the news that cancer has filled your body, or when you’re told of the death of a loved one.  Nor is it the unread Bible that gives you strength to avoid the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.  It’s the Word of God stored up in your heart that gives you strength to fight against the world, the flesh and the Devil.  In the same way, only Scripture can give you comfort and joy to persevere in the midst of any adversity. 

And so regarding the commandments of the Lord, Solomon wrote: “Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you.  For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life, to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress” (Proverbs 6:21-24).  Do you practice hiding God’s Word in your heart?  If not, begin today, and if so, continue pressing on!