Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022

Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” This is one of those verses that speaks to me in a practical way in my walk with Christ. To understand its meaning, let’s start with why the Psalmist used the term “hidden.” Where do we keep our most prized possessions? In a bank? In a safe? Certainly not out on our front porch for anyone to potentially steal. We hide them in order to protect them, to hold them close to us, because we value them above all other things. Such is the same meaning here, except with God’s word instead of worldly possessions. Secondly, where do we say our most prized relationships reside? Close to our hearts! The heart is focused on in the Bible, and was a major topic of discussion in Jesus’ teachings. Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Jesus also said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Proverbs echoes Jesus’ teachings, saying in chapter 27, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” What Psalm 119:11 is teaching, practically, is that it is not enough to commit God’s word to our minds – to memory; for the purpose of walking closely with God (not sinning against Him), we are to hide away, or value/protect/treasure, His word to our hearts. From our hearts, so our mouths speak, and so our life will go. A life lived in this way will bring the kind of Godly relationships – discipling, edifying, and life-changing relationships – close to our hearts, and thereby, close to God. Today, move past being a passive reader of the Word, and become a doer of the Word by hiding it away in your heart.

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”—Psalm 119:11 NIV

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Luke 6:45 NIV

“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” – Proverbs 27:19

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21