Thy Word in my Heart

How Much of Thy Word Is Hidden In My Heart?

“Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”
Psalm 119:11

“Church history tells of a time when the Bible was forbidden to the people. It was buried in dead languages, and at most there were only a few copies and these chained to pulpits in places of worship. Today we have it printed in most languages and dialects and over its pages the devout searcher for truth, in most countries, may meditate and pray with perfect freedom.

If all copies of our Bible and all Biblical literature with which we are familiar were somehow destroyed, what portions of that pro- fessedly treasured Word could we contribute toward its restoration? Remembering the inspired warning, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Is it not important that we too may say with the Psalmist, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart?” Many are the reasons why the Word of God should be stored up in the memory. Blindness and various physical afflictions can remove from us the joy of reading its pages for ourselves, but if the memory be filled with its promises, prophecies, and precepts, there can be unbroken contact therewith. Then, too, what weapon is so effective as “ the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” when Satan comes with his subtle temptations? No better weapon has been given us whereby we may “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Fortified with that Word, our faith will never be found standing “in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God,” for a “thus saith the Lord” will be required for every item of our faith.

The Bible reveals, as no other literature in the world does, the heart of God in relation to the sons of men, whose joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, sins and doubts, longings and failures remain ever the same. Only in the light of that revelation can these varied experiences find a satisfactory interpretation. It has been well said by some one, “As long as the heart has passions, and as long as life has woes, the comfort of the Holy Scriptures will be the boon of the inquiring or troubled heart.” And what a telescope it is by which the eye of faith may look far beyond the horizons of physical sight, seeing the King in all his beauty, and catching visions of future glories and perfect knowledge framed in the large dimension of eternity.

God’s Word is a lamp and light to guide individual steps along life’s devious paths, a sun above showing whither the path as a whole leads--even to heaven itself. God’s Word comes as the rain in showers of refreshing, and it distills as the dew when the heart is stilled into meditative quietness, and sweet as honey to the taste. There is milk for babes and strong meat for the mature. Freedom is its promise, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” He who follows it walks at large in liberty. This the word of Paul in prison who declares, “The Word of God is not bound” (2 Tim. 2:9). It is great treasure indeed to the individual believer, and also to the Church collectively. Its Author is the Ruler of life, who in His Word describes, directs, rebukes, consoles, elevates the soul which none but He alone can thoroughly know, and none but He can abidingly satisfy.

No private interpretation of individual or church can ever be allowed to petrify or fossilize the Word, which holy men spoke because “moved” to do so by the Holy Spirit, and which will move humble searchers to study and understand. Nothing is made clearer in the Bible than the fact that the Holy Spirit will ever be making fresh applications of that Word to meet our present need. To be what God wants it to be to us, it must be taken as a personal message, a message calculated to wash and sanctify us. Possible it is to treat the Bible as an idol, to make it a book valued mainly because it is understood to support a line of interpretations dear to us, the product of our own imaginations. The remedy for this is a rich possession of the spirit, the spirit of teachableness and obedience, which prays, “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.” Then the Word will be made a living message, with new power, new aspirations, that “the man of God may be thoroughly furnished” at all times and have his feet directed according to that Word.

“The Light of the world is Jesus.” In Scripture all leads up to him or on from him. Therefore, to make him the Master-light of our life is to follow a sound and wise law of interpretation based on the facts of the case. In this we have his own example, when he would clear away misunderstandings and fill hearts with burning joy, “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Thus we look unto Jesus our Light and Life, for he is also “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession.” This looks into the future associations promised those who shallreign with him. All this, therefore, involves an eventual attainment of perfect training and a fixity of character in the principles of righteousness.

For this same training and character, this mature power to judge of all things in the light of perfect truth, and estimating all issues with proper insight, the Word of God is the chosen instrument Jesus taught us the Spirit would use. Thus, indeed, it was written long ago: “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation” (Psa. 119:99). Can we affirm to God, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart?” Can we affirm it so truthfully that under test we will be found fortified, sanctified and matured by it?

Then, remembering that he, who is the Living Word, has made us know that he too must be enthroned in the heart. Can we affirm in confidence that he has an undisputed Rulership there? Truly, if the written Word and the Living Word are both in possession of our hearts, sin can never gain the mastery over us. This being so, how deep a truth lies in the words of another Apostle: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Here, love is the test of our light and cleansing. The proof that we are in the light of God’s Word is found in our universal fellowship with all who have Jesus as their light and the cleansing of his blood. He who walks in this love is in the light. He who walks not in this love walks in darkness, and in that darkness there can be no vision of the face of Jesus Christ. With no vision of his face, “the light of the glory of God as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ” is obscured; therefore, no sanctification, no transformation into his image. Like the foolish virgins of the parable, whose lamps were no doubt as well trimmed as those carried by the wise, but alas! with no oil in their vessels--so it can be with us. A well-known Bible is no substitute for a Christ-filled heart. It is only when the beauty of His perfection is brought into our hearts and lives that we see light in his light, and gloriously receive and reflect the light of the glory of God.”

“Divine Instructor, gracious Lord
be Thou forever near;
Teach me to love Thy sacred Word
and view my Savior here.”