HIDING GOD’S WORD IN OUR HEARTS

WHY HIDE GOD'S WORD IN YOUR HEART-

This weekend my sweet little 12 month old granddaughter and her parents came for a visit. Not an unusual thing. I’m very blessed to have my children and their families within driving distance of StoneGable. Emma Kate is so so sweet and dainty and girly and giggly! And just such a joy! And she is getting chatty. Oh, a chatty little girl. I love it! And this darling little one caused me to remember a very big precept of God while she splashed in the baby pool on our patio! Literally out of the mouths of babes…The day was quite hot and just perfect for putting the little blue pool under the tree on the patio and letting Emma Kate play with a cute beach inspired pool toys. She was adorable in her hot pink flirty swim skirt and her pink flamingo rash guard top! I must have taken a hundred pictures!

After a little while, she raised up her tiny fingered hands and said those magical words that make my heart melt, “UP”. No one can prepare you for what that does to a Gigi’s heart! 

So I scooped her out of the pool and sat her wet pink covered bottom on my lap. After a few kisses and some “chatter”, she said a very distinct word… “BOBBLE”. 

When Emma Kate started saying this about a month ago we thought she was asking for bubbles. But it wasn’t long before her mommy figured out she was saying “BIBLE”. And she only said bible around me. Instantly we made the connection. Since the day my precious Anderson and Emma Kate were born I have sung Jesus Loves Me to them. Every time we facetime and many times when they are here at StoneGable overnight.

Emma Kate was requesting the song she connects me with, Jesus Loves Me. Well, I did not have to be asked twice! I sang it to her and bounced her on my knee and made the usual show-me-your-muscles move when I sang “He is strong” and we clapped and cheered for Jesus after the song together.

This happy snippet of my day reminded me of a great truth of the Bible from Psalm 119

I HAVE HIDDEN YOUR WORD IN MY HEART SO I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST YOU.  PSALM 119:11

It is part of the longest chapter in the entire Bible! And it has a powerful message for us! Let’s look at it.

God, through the psalmist, is telling us to hide His word in our hearts so what when sin comes along we will know how to handle it and be strengthened not to sin against Him. 

Let’s break this verse down and look at it in the original Hebrew (the language it was written in). The word HIDDEN means to hide away as a great treasure. One of the ways ancients would protect possession of precious value was to hide them away. Many times burying them where no one could find them. They had no security systems or safety deposit boxes to stow their treasures away. They hid them.

God is telling us to hide His word away in our hearts. His precious, of limitless value words, should be considered great treasures and hidden away… in our hearts!

Our hearts are the center of our being. The part that cannot be seen. Our mind, intellect, emotion, will. God is saying to keep these hidden but not forgotten.

Why should we hide them? Because He knows that we are sinners and it is our nature to sin against Him.

The Hebrew text says something in verse 11 that is not evident in the translation. It goes like this. I have hidden your word in my heart to the end that I might not sin against you.

There is a reason the psalmist is hiding God’s word in his heart. And it is easily seen in the Hebrew text. He knows that he is a sinner and having the treasure of God’s word hidden in a safe yet accessible place will help him fight against sin. We are all in a battle against sin.

God tells us again when talking about then Armor Of God we must put on daily for this epic battle that will be waged against us from the second of our birth till our last breath…

TAKE UP THE HELMET OF SALVATION AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD. Ep 6:17

When we know and protect God’s word within us we can draw it out like a double-edged sword from its sheath and use it to fight evil in our lives.

And according to the Bible, the word of God is the only offensive weapon we have against evil.

Emma Kate is hiding the song Jesus Loves Me in her heart! This made me think how important it is to teach God’s word and to even the very youngest! And that we are never too early to commit to hiding God’s word in OUR hearts!

This brought to mind two other verses…

TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE WILL GO AND WHEN HE IS OLD HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT  Prov 22:6

And this command from God…

AND THESE WORDS I COMMAND YOU TODAY SALL BE ON YOUR HEART (talking about the Law that was given to Moses). YOU SHALL TEACH THEM DILIGENTLY TO YOUR CHILDREN AND SHALL TALK OF THEM WHEN YOU SIT IN YOUR HOUSE, AND WHEN YOU WALK BY THE WAY, AND WHEN YOU LIE DOWN AND WHEN YOU RISE UP.  Deut 6:6-7

What do we fill our minds with? What do we fill our hearts with? And what do we fill our children with? Will it save us and them from the misery of sin? God knows we are all like sheep and how easily we go astray. We need God’s word hidden in the center of our being!

 

I’ll keep on singing Jesus Loves Me to all my grandbabies that come along and help them hide God’s word in their heart through other songs too. My favorite songs right now are from Songs For Saplings. You can find them on YouTube. 

And guess what? I’m relearning God’s word too and hiding it in my heart as I sing them to my little ones! I am learning to wield the sword of the spirit when sin comes my way!

How about you? Are you pouring into the lives of those around you? And how many scripture treasures are you hiding in your heart?

This week’s memorization verse:

I HAVE HIDDEN YOUR WORD IN MY HEART SO I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST YOU.  PSALM 119:11

 

 

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33 Comments

  1. Judy Swinea says:

    Just what I needed from His word today. Thank you. Praying for the Power if His word in the lives of many loved ones. I used to sing a personalized verse of “Jesus Loves Me” to my children and what joy to sing it to my two grandbaby girls when I first held them!

    1. Thank you so much. I awoke with Psalms 119:11

  2. gretchen roberson says:

    Too precious! Your grandchildren are a blessing…and YOU are their blessing! I love that song..l learned it when I was small..and if I have grandchildren…I will be sure to sing it to them! xox

  3. Suzanne Pope says:

    His word hidden away – beautiful and true.

  4. Thank you for this beautiful lesson!

  5. A very important job of a grandparent to pass along the knowledge of Jesus to the next generations!! This was a good reminder, my little 4yo granddaughter is coming over in a while.

    1. It is so encouraging to know that the things God allowed me to instill in all my daycare children and my own children are not in vain. I’m a Sunday school teacher now. But this scripture is for me also today. I am continually relearning and hiding God’s Word in my own heart as I study to impart knowledge to my Sunday school children. Thank you so much for the encouragement. I have personalized the song Yes Jesus Love me/you _____(child name) for about 38 years, since I began singing it to my oldest daughter. The word of God is still in her from childhood at age 38 even when she tried to be wayward with her friends the Word of God would come out of her mouth. We can never underestimate the Power of the Word of God. I’m encouraged to keep diligently teaching the word of God into Children.

  6. Thank you for your Bobble study each week. I wish I had had a Grandma, or parents for that matter, who taught me about Jesus. I’m learning on my own and your weekly posts are very helpful. Being raised a Catholic, we weren’t encouraged to read the bible. What a wonderful thing to learn that I don’t have to earn my way to heaven! Many blessing to you and your family.
    Ellen

    1. Ellen, I thought that too! Can you imagine (I bet YOU can) my great relief and joy to know that I did not have to earn it at all! That Jesus took my place and my penalty and gave me His righteousness and more!

      When people say they have to be good to get to heaven or they have to earn it some way I ask them to show me where in the Bible that is said.

  7. Oh….! How precious is that word – Bobble! Calling it to mind must bring you all kinds of joy. Today’s post is timely for me. I’m reading a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (by Eric Metaxas) that has me stunned every page at how God used His Word in Bonhoeffer’s heart during Hitler’s reign.
    This verse in the Psalms makes me think, too, of when Paul told Timothy to “guard the treasure” (deposit in some translations), meaning the gospel or the Word. I love how God’s Word goes together! And I look forward to your Sunday posts, Yvonne.

  8. At the beginning of the year, while pondering and praying, the Lord laid on my heart the verses from Psalm 78:4 NLT- and I printed off 8×10 sheets and framed them for each of our children and families. Along with it, I found little notebooks to record those “God moments” to share them with us when we gather as a family, and to tell the children, how God speaks to us in various ways, and how he see him at work in our lives.

  9. What a beautiful story. I need yours and your readers help. The other night I was talking to my Daughter and Son in Law ( who both were raised in the church) told me they don’t believe in God! She told me she is searching but hasn’t found proof that he exist .. I was so shocked I just said that where faith comes in. Please tell me what I should say to them .

    1. Oh Cathy, you have such a fabulous weapon against unbelief… PRAYER! James 5:16 says: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Pray and pray and pray and pray and NEVER give up!

      Claim a hedge of protection around your loved ones and keep asking for them to find Jesus!

      Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh. findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Mat 7:7-8.

      And keep loving them. Don’t judge because (and this is hard for me to say so I say this with tears in my eyes) they are already judged because of their unbelief. Keep LOVING them and show them what godly, Christian love looks like. Make your life and your home a refuge from the outside evil world.

      Pray, beg, claim scripture for them and over them!!!! And pray scripture out loud for them. Oh, we have such power!!!! And we serve the ultimate power of all. He loves YOU and he loves your daughter and son-in-law even more than you do.

      Remember, The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.

      I’m praying for them too and for you! xo

  10. I love your pod casts and decorating ideas. I especially love your post about the scriptures. Thank you for being real. My husband and I just bought a second house and I’m working on decorating it and setting it up. Your posts have been so uplifting and taking the time for reading the Word has been a formost priority while doing all of this. It is so easy to get side tracked to less important things when you are setting up a house. Thank YOU, and the girls for your fun pod casts and posts. Love in Christ, Darlene

    1. So thrilled you are reading StoneGable and listening to Decorating Tips And Tricks.

  11. That is the sweetest post yet!! I too sing Jesus loves me to our youngest grandson. He sing right along with me (we make a joyful sound) I looked up your suggestion Songs for Saplings, I was so excited!! They had James 1:17… my grandson’s name is James and we claimed that verse for him because he is also our 17th grandchild. So I now can sing it to him and hopefully he’ll learn it also (He’s 16 months old)

    1. Wow, Marty! So wonderful to have all the babies in your life for you to pour your best into! James 17…how darling!

  12. Yvonne. You have reminded me what I need to do with my grand babies. Thank you for your Sunday inspirations.

    1. Kathy, I really never was anxious for grandbabies. I was enjoying life… UNTIL… I had them. What a blessing. I adore my 2 little ones and the “sequel” coming later in July!

  13. KittyLuvr says:

    I love this post and you are such a great writer that I could actually “see and hear” you singing to Emma Kate! I do the same thing with my granddaughter, Lyla Kate….every time I see her, I pick her up and say “let me tell you a secret”…she gets very still, leans in close and then I whisper “Jesus loves you” and she giggles…my hope is that she won’t keep that a secret as she grows and that she will tell many people that Jesus loves them too! Thank you for sharing your stories that inspire so many!

  14. Wise words my friend. My grands, my husband and I always sing “Count Your Blessing” before prayers at bedtime. When it is led at services , any that are there look at me and smile, that is MiMi’s song to them. When we sing What a Friend we Have in Jesus, they and their parents know that was their Great Grandfather/Grandfather’s song. What messages these songs send to our children. You are blessed my friend, as am I. At almost 17 my oldest granddaughter still holds hands and sings and prays with us before she goes to bed when she visits. What joy to think one day we’d be able to sing with a child of hers. Thank you for sharing, and listening.

  15. I am blessed this morning with this verse

  16. I am blessed finding reading your page….

  17. How fitting that I am working on an inscription for Abigail looking for the verse of hiding God’s word and YOUR ARTICLE WAS #1. I just love this. Thank you so much for sharing your heart.

  18. Shakara Adderley says:

    March 31 2021 3am

    This is the word God had given me to read.
    I search it and came across you. This blog is profound. Thank you

  19. Pastor Constance D Hill says:

    I enjoyed reading & this gave me insight on hiding the Word of God , thank you

  20. Lou Killough says:

    I’m glad you revisited Memorizing Verses & hiding them in y our heart. That’s what the Holy SPirit has told me for this year! I look forward to seeing your verses each day!
    Lou,
    from Georgia