Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart

Monday, September 25, 2023

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalm 119:11

The entire 119^th Psalm refers to God’s Word ^{(43 times in its 176 verses)}.  Reading this Psalm out loud, every time you take a breath, you’re going to utter the phrase thy word!  It is the design of the Author to point to His own word as the benchmark for the way we humans should live what is called covenant life, living a life faithful and fruitful in the promises and precepts of the Kingdom of God. 

This touches virtually every aspect of a human’s existence; it touches the good times and tough times, the times bathed in faith, and the times of straying off the path, as well as the times of fear.  But the weight of the Psalm (for me) is summed-up in this: 

How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.  Psalm 119:103

This is a teaching Psalm, introducing God’s people how to live in light of God’s requirements, as people of light…the goodness of God, as opposed to the darkness of God’s evil enemy.  One writer expressed it this way:

The Didactic [teaching] Songs expound the totally separate paths known from wisdom literature as the ways of “the wise” and “the foolish,” from covenant literature as those of “the obedient” and “the disobedient.”[i]

To use a common means of expressing it, there are two kinds of people in the universe – those who trust in God (and live like it), and those who don’t!  A third possibility is those who slip in-and-out of both, just can’t make up their minds.

That third possibility is actually quite-flawed, because “slipping-in-and-out” is only a superficial residence in one or the other.  It is failing to choose (for an eternity) to live as God’s child, or as the child of God’s enemy.  Scripture tells us it is impossible to please God except by faith.[ii] 

There is a difference between simply being afraid God will punish us for our sins, so we behave for a while, and fearing God in the sense of reverence, respect, and therefore choosing to obey His commands for life and eternity, by turning away from sin, so you are able to live-into that respect and reverence with obedience. 

Hiding God’s Word in your heart is exactly how you do that.  You read it every day; you study and meditate on God’s Word.  You pray like the writer of the 119^th Psalm wrote, talking to God about your fears and faith, your successes and the times you messed-up.  You ask Him for faith to live as He wants you, and strength to oppose your own stubborn will. 

That’s what spiritual warfare is all about…not movements to challenge others’ faith or practices, or shouting matches over evil stuff…it’s dealing with your own rebellious heart.  We’re all born with that, and it separates us from God and each other if we don’t root out that sin…or more accurately invite God to come root it out for you…His Holy Spirit is an expert at dealing with your heart.

For You Today 

 So…how’s it going with that?  Are you hiding His Word in your heart?  Have you sensed God is moving-in where there used to be rebellion and darkness?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Title Image(s) courtesy of Pixabay.com  and Pixabay.com                     

Images without citation are in public domain.  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[i] Asbury Bible Commentary Copyright © 1992 by The Zondervan Corporation

[ii] Hebrews 11:6  

Waiting In a Small Place

[1]

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.  So many enemies against one man—all of them trying to kill me.  To them I’m just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence.  They plan to topple me from my high position.  They delight in telling lies about me.  They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts.                                              Interlude

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.  My victory and honor come from God alone.  He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.  O my people, trust in him at all times.  Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.                                           Interlude

Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be.  If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air.  Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing.  And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life.  God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times:  Power, O God, belongs to you; unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.  Surely you repay all people according to what they have done.  Psalm 62:1-12

King David knew himself well.  You don’t spend days and nights alone tending sheep and not thinking about the small places inside you upon which you’ve learned to depend.  Preachers are particularly subject to this, spending hours nose-deep in Scripture and thought about what to say next Sunday.  I wait quietly in small places.

David may have sounded a bit paranoid about all the people plotting against him; truth be told, he wasn’t paranoid – he just understood the nature of humans.  David understood his own shortcomings, reasons why he shouldn’t be king.  David knew his sinfulness and feared his shortcomings.

When alone, particularly early in the morning as this moment can attest, I think of the life I’ve lived, and those small places that I return to…

          ·      stubborn, not submitted to Christ’s changing power

          ·      willful, hardly obedient, except if it can be seen by others

          ·      selfish, less than generous, except if it can be seen by others

          ·      fearful, not depending on the Rock of Jesus’ saving power

          ·      wavering, looking for a way out that I can see instead of faith-walking

          ·      wobbly-kneed, untrue, and crabby…hardly a tower of graciousness. 

Before I begin a day I must always cover this ground in my prayers.  Like David, I know myself too well to imagine I’ll be just fine without God’s constant hand leading, and His Spirit forming me from the inside-out.

For You Today

So, now you’ve watched me reveal my soft underbelly, my weak spots.  What are you going to do about being honest with God about yours?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless noted, Scripture used from The New Living Translation©