Hid!

Hid!

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

The Inspiration:

The words of today's verse are taken from the longest chapter in the bible. It is interesting to also note that the entire chapter pays tribute to the power of the Word of God. All through the 176 verses of the chapter, you read about the power and impact of God's Word in the lives of men, as well as in creation. It is very clear that what works is what lines up with the Word of God. You can try all the gimmicks the world teaches; if God is not involved, and the things i push or pursue don't line up with the principles of God's Word, there is no success. It is also not about what I tell myself is the truth, but what God lays down as His own truth. I do not seek to promote my own agenda; I simply seek to honour God, so He can show Himself strong and mighty on my behalf. It is not my word; it is His. I cannot back up my word by myself, or by my own power. God can do that all by Himself; in fact, He says He is watching over His Word to perform it. That is confidence in His ability and capacity; if this person backs me up, then I cannot fail. 

The Contention:

My desire for impact is the reason why I have to treat the Word of God the right way. The verse speaks about the writer's decision to 'hide' God's Word in his heart. Why is this significant? Let's look at the definition of 'hide': one says to 'put out of sight'. Another says 'to conceal for shelter or protection'.light, yet another says 'to keep secret'. All are relevant to today's reflection. That which I hide must be precious indeed. That which needs protection or shelter must indeed be prone to being stolen. The fact that it is prone to being stolen means it is very precious, and must be guarded with all that I have. It also matters where it is kept secret or hidden. The recommendation in today's verse is that the Word must be kept in the heart. This would mean that there are several places where you could keep the word, such as in the head, as picture frames on the wall, or on the pages of books, but the best place is in my heart. It is what is stored in the heart that can be easily recalled. What is in the head could be easily forgotten, and that which is written down on paper could be lost, but the heart is the seat of emotions, feelings and speech. 

The Conclusion:

The heart is the place from where all I say and do flow from. You can store the word in these other places, but you must make sure they are also stored in the heart. The bible already makes it clear that I have to guard my heart with all diligence because out of it flows the issues of life. The reason given in the verse for hiding the Word in my heart is because the presence of the Word of God keeps me from sin. The word I have stored up becomes the reminder of the standard of God for me. The Word reminds me of God's demands and expectations from me. When sin threatens, it must find the right standard in my heart. I will still have a choice to make, but at least, I have the right guidance and information in place to call on. The devil is smart, and he has been in this business of promoting sin for quite some time, so I have to be totally dependent on the One who gives victory over sin. God has given me all I need for life and Godliness, and I have access only if I ask the right way, and deal with His Word the right way. What decisions about God's Word do I need to make today? God's time of favour is here.