"...Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
Psalm 119:9-11
Part 4
Yesterday: Keeping My Focus on the Lord and His Commandments
“With my whole heart have I sought thee.”
God will not tolerate a “half-hearted” relationship with anyone. Are you “all in” with God?
“O let me not wander from thy commandments.”
“Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love…”[1] David knew this heartbreak, but God’s commandments led him home!
Today: The Hidden Word in My Heart Helps Prevent My Sin
We began this brief study with the question, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? The answer to that question is in the same verse (v. 9). “By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” To the degree that we base our lives on the Word of God, we can expect to live clean lives that honor the Lord. When we do not take God’s Word seriously or do not listen to and obey what it says, we should not be surprised when we see the sin failures adding up in our lives. In verse 11, the psalmist helps us understand why Bible memory is so important in each of our lives.
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart.”
We live in an ever-changing world. Nothing remains the same for long. The most unchanging thing in the world is the guarantee of its constant change. This is another reason that God’s child needs to be in the Word daily! God never changes, and neither does His Word! David had good reason to memorize the Word.
If we have the Word of God in us, where we have constant access to it, we will reap its benefits in our lives.
Why should we memorize God’s Word?
God’s Word gives me safety while walking through this life. My steps are on solid footing.
“The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:31).
Doing God’s will becomes my pleasure and never a struggle for me.
“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).
God’s words and commandments that are received and hidden well in me are words and commandments that I think about, believe, and act on.
“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee” (Proverbs 2:1).
With God’s Word in my heart, I do not fear men!
“Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings” (Isaiah 51:7).
Because I am called “by thy name,” I devour God’s Word with joy and rejoicing!
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16).
Jesus’ words dwelling in me have transformed my heart by teaching and admonishing me! My heart reflects what I have learned in song.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
Treasuring up God’s Word in my heart gives me a constant stream of His thoughts that I can meditate on and grow in, to be like Him.
“That I might not sin against thee.”
Treasuring up His Word and using it when temptation comes, it whispers to me of His truth when all around me the voices encourage me to sin against Him. We never want to do any sin against our God.
“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression” (Psalm 19:13).
“‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart.’ His heart would be kept by the word because he kept the word in his heart. All that he had of the word written, and all that had been revealed to him by the voice of God, – all, without exception, he had stored away in his affections, as a treasure to be preserved in a casket [chest], or as a choice seed to be buried in a fruitful soil: what soil more fruitful than a renewed heart, wholly seeking the Lord?”[2] (Spurgeon).
Believers, how is your heart? Can you say,
“My heart is kept by the Word because I keep the Word in my heart?”
Quote: “The psalmist said, ‘Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee’ (Psalm 119:11). Without knowledge, we are defenseless and vulnerable. Knowing God’s truth—by study and by application—enables us to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. Anyone who puts his faith in Jesus Christ but who does not keep God’s Word constantly at the forefront of his mind will find himself entrapped in sin again and again”[3] (John MacArthur).
[1] Robert Robinson wrote the text for “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” (1758). Tune is NETTLETON, authorship uncertain. The quote is from the third verse. Copyright Status: Public Domain.
[2] C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 119:11.
[3] This quote is from John MacArthur’s book, Strength for Today: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith, Downloaded: Tuesday, January 19, 2021. From: https://www.christcenteredquotes.org.