The Hiding Place
Psalm 119:11
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Most of us have a hiding place for our treasures.
It may be the place where you keep that stash of chocolate you don't want anyone else to find. Maybe it is a drawer, a safe, or some secret place where you have tucked away money for a rainy day. Whatever it is, you consider that place safe. You hide your treasure there because you don't want it lost, stolen, or destroyed.
The Psalmist understood the value of hiding something precious. But his treasure wasn't money, jewels, silver, or gold. His treasure was the Word of God. Everything this world offers is temporary. Wealth can disappear. Possessions can be lost. Gold and silver can lose their value. The things we consider most precious eventually fade away.
But the Word of God stands forever. The Psalmist didn't simply read God's Word. He hid it. Notice where he chose to hide it: in his heart. The heart, throughout Scripture, represents the center of our inner life. It is the place from which our thoughts, desires, attitudes, and decisions flow. What fills the heart eventually finds its way into our character and conduct.
The Psalmist was saying, “I want God's Word so deeply embedded within me that it shapes the way I think, the way I feel, the way I respond, and ultimately the way I live.”
Why did he hide it in his heart? That he might not sin against God. That is the purpose of hiding God's Word in our hearts.
What we hide in our hearts will eventually come out in our lives. If we fill our hearts with the values of the world, the world will shape our character. But if we fill our hearts with the Word of God, His truth begins to shape us from the inside out.
Where are you hiding God's Word? Don't leave it sitting on a shelf. Hide it. Treasure it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Carry it with you. Put it in the safe place of the heart and allow His truth to govern your thoughts, direct your emotions, shape your character, and guide your conduct.
With Gratitude, Pastor Jesse
