To Hid in My Heart

To Hid in My Heart

Beth

Psalm 119:9-16

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

¹⁰ With my Whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your Commandments!

¹¹ Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

¹² Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes.

¹³ I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.

¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, As much as in all riches.

¹⁵ I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your way.

¹⁶ I will delight myself in your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

Victory in temptation comes to those who effectively employ the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).  “It is written” was the way the Master Met Satan’s subtle allurements (see Matthew 4:4, 7, 10).  The youth of today must employ the same spiritual weapons. The mind must constantly feed upon the Word, else the defenses of soul will break down, and Satan will gain the advantage.  A neglect to study and to meditate upon the Word for even one day results in serious loss.

While we must exert all the powers of the soul in the conflict against sin, we still need the Lord’s help.  Sin can be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead, but God can do nothing for us without our consent and cooperation.  We are so prone to wander. Like the seep on the mountainside, how often we go astray.

Therefore, “I have hid in my heart” contains the secret of true Christian living.  A mere knowledge of the Word will not keep us from sin, but when the Word is treasured up in the heart we have the weapons with which to meet and conquer the wily foe.

Bless reflects several shades of meaning.  When god blesses a person, it means that God endows him with salutary gifts, or declares the person to be so endowed.  When a man blesses God, it means that he acknowledges God as the dispense of salutary gifts.  In the Old Testament men are frequently said to bless God. When a person blesses another person, he expresses the wish that that person may be endowed with salutary gifts.  In the LXX, Barak is usually rendered eulogeo, “to speak well of.”  Infrequently barak is used to express an opposite meaning “to curse”

Therefore, we all need to be learners in God’s school.  What a privilege to ask for and what a privilege to receive, a divine instructor.

Every faithful disciple will tell others of his great joy in the Word of God and will invite them to share in this blessed experience (see Deuteronomy 6:7 confer Matthew 12:35).

Because the believer in Word finds more satisfaction in its treasures than does the man of wealthy in earthly riches. The Word of God is much more to be desired than gold or precious stones.  Earthly treasures fade, but the treasures of heaven endure unto all eternity.

For when the soul meditates on the truth of the Word of God, these truths become a part of the life.  A hasty reading without reflection accomplishes but little good. Quiet meditation permits the Holy Spirit to make appropriate application of the general statements of principle to individual experience. “one reason that there is not more sincere piety and religious fervor, is because the mind is occupied with unimportant things and there is no time to meditate, search the Scriptures or pray.

Meditation helps to guide against temptation the mind that is filled the precepts of God has no room for cheap and debasing thoughts. The young man who has his mind thus stored will tread a pure path.

By following through we all the above we delight naturally follows meditation, being the outcome or fruit of it.  The law ceases to be a burden and become the source of greatest joy and delight.  Those who live in harmony with heaven thrill with pleasure as the sacred pages of the Word of God are read. True religion does not inhibit man’s powers, it gives them their greatest scope.