The Hidden Word

The psalmist wrote, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
-Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

I was part of a group of young men being addressed by an older church leader. He encouraged us to memorize scripture so we would have it with us always. There would be times, he said, when we would not have ready access to a Bible. Or we might lie awake at night, unable to sleep. He reminded us that in those situations we could call forth and meditate on scripture we had memorized.

Another reason to memorize scripture is found in our Bible verse for today. We can counter temptation by quoting scripture. Jesus did this when he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (Matt. 4).

Reading, studying, and memorizing God's word take effort, but the rewards far outweigh the effort we expend. Having scripture hidden in our heart provides continual blessings in our daily walk with God. Jesus said, "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John 6:63, NRSV).

by David L. Burkholder (Virginia, USA)