Thy Word Have I Hid in Mine Heart

How much of the Word of God is stored inside of you?

I find it interesting that the longest chapter in the Bible is the one that contains the verse "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."  I used to balk at memorizing more than 3 sentences.  Eventually with much labor I was able to memorize a chapter of Revelation word perfect but without much joy and it eventually slipped.  I managed to memorize the first chapter of James and 1 Corinthians 13 which have still stuck with me.  But until I made the plea that the Lord give me strength of mind I never really made much progress.

I would encourage everyone to pray that prayer for help to memorize God's word.  It may not seem like He has answered at first but this where faith comes in.  If you believe He has answered even though you don't feel it, you can set your efforts to memorize a little at a time and it will become easier quicker than you think.

With two 15-30 minute sessions a day, by His grace, I have memorized Matthew chapter 1-8, and with 2-3 occasional glitches, the whole of Psalm 119.

Psalm 119

Psalm 119 is a precious chapter to me.  It is an invitation to plea for something that God longs to give us.  The continuous theme of Psalm 119 is a plea to know the Law of God.  And if you consider that Christ is the embodiment of the Law, it is a longing to know the Lord, which Christ says is eternal life (John 17:3).  The connection between Christ, the Law, and the meaning of righteousness becomes clear, especially in the light of the words near the end of the psalm "My tongue shall speak of Thy word, for all Thy commandments are righteousness" (v. 172).

What is the response that God will give when you make this prayer your own?  Often, as we go through life we realize--looking back--that we can never of ourselves truthfully make some of the statements in this Psalm.  Neither can you truthfully make many of the pleas because you realize that your heart is carnal and, "....the carnal mind is at enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Rom 8:7).  As you behold the depths of your enmity against God's law, Satan will be on hand to oppress you with thoughts of hopelessness.  But if, by reaching out the hand of faith, you cry for this prayer to be your own, Christ will answer as follows:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they SHALL be filled.

Do you catch that?  The Holy Spirit has--through your prayer--made you feel your need, and you realize you are poor in spirit.  Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is yours.  You will mourn for your sin, and be comforted.  Meekness will come as you realize you deserve nothing good, yet it is given you (Psalm 103:10).  And a hunger and thirst for righteousness, for an experiential knowledge of the Lord through obedience to His righteous commandments will be awakened, and therefore, satisfied.