How to Hide God's Word in Your Heart
As believers, it is of utmost importance to hide God’s Word in our hearts, so we can then live and be directed by His truth. Keeping God’s Word in our hearts helps us not to forget God's truth and goodness that we may be encouraged, equipped, and eternally changed by His Word. Watch today's video to learn 3 ways to hide God's Word in your heart. Enjoy!
Early in my motherhood journey, like most mothers, I found it challenging to find time to read the Bible and spend time in God’s word. One thing I would do to ensure I was staying spiritually fed was to listen to podcast sermons and teachings because I could listen while driving, or washing the dishes, or nursing my babies to sleep. My favorite podcast to listen to was Living Proof with Beth Moore. At the time, her podcast posted each Monday and I looked forward to it with anticipation.
Listening to Beth Moore’s passion for God’s word and teaching of His truth stirred in me an excitement for His word. One day while listening to her podcast, she said something that really stood out to me. She was talking about a trend of seeing more people express that love was their only religion. Now, this caught my attention because I had recently heard this same statement by others online. “Love is my religion” sounds great, concise, and to the point. But Beth Moore then asked the question, how do we know what love is? She held up her Bible and explained that we know love because of the truth in God’s scriptures. If our definition of love is not rooted in truth, it’s no good. It’s the Bible that tells us what love is, and what love looks like: the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls.
I was reminded of the importance to truly keep God’s Word in our hearts because there are so many ideas and philosophies today that sound good, but are not true. And as believers who are called to be rooted and grounded in truth, we can’t do that without the Bible.
As believers, it is of utmost importance to hide God’s Word in our hearts, so we can then live and be directed by His truth. Not your truth, her truth, or their truth. There is one truth and God is the author and He has graciously revealed that truth to us in His Word. Psalm 119:11 says:
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 ESV)
God’s word is the compass our hearts need to direct our desires to live as God has called us to. So it’s not only important that we know God’s word, but that we believe it, live it, and share it. We can do that, like the Psalmist, by keeping God's Word in our hearts. So today, I’m sharing 3 ways to keep Gods’ Word in your heart.
#1. To keep God’s Word in our hearts, we must know God’s Word.
When we know God’s Word and not only what the Bible says, but what it actually means, we can better decipher the truth of God’s Word from the lies of this world. When we study our Bible and become acquainted with God’s word, it becomes easier to identify any false truths and not become deceived. We can know God’s Word by studying the Bible and listening to sound Biblical teaching. Bible study is not only for preachers and pastors. You don’t need to be a theological scholar to understand God’s Word. In fact, God did not give us His Word to test our intelligence but to change our hearts. I have plenty of videos on YouTube to teach you how to study the Bible, so check those out. You can also check out belovedwomen.tv where we have hundreds of videos to teach you God’s Word and grow your faith.
#2 We can keep God’s Word in our hearts by memorizing scripture.
Memorizing scripture is helpful because when we memorize Bible verses or passages, they stay with us wherever we go. If we are facing a particular battle, we can memorize scripture on that particular challenge, so we can remind ourselves of God’s truth at any time. We may not always have our Bible available, so memorizing scripture ensures God’s truth is always with us. As a child, I remember memorizing 2 Timothy 1:7 and every time I was afraid, I would recite the words:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)
The other day I was insecure and intimidated that I wouldn’t be able to record a batch of videos that I wanted to get done, so I had to remind myself of Philippians 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 ESV)
When I’m anxious at night and can’t go to sleep, I remind myself of a verse I remembered in college, Psalm 116:7.
“Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.” (Psalm 116:7 NIV)
After having two surgeries last year, healing became a big part of my journey. I kept reminding myself of Psalm 147:3.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3 ESV)
I would recite that verse to myself in the shower, in bed at night, or in the waiting room of the doctor’s office. Because these verses are stored in my heart, and I’ve memorized them, they are always available to me whenever I need them.
Memorizing these scriptures helps me to directly defend myself when anxiety, fear, or restlessness arise. Hiding God’s Word in our hearts does not mean we have to study the Bible 24/7. Little steps and memorizing verses here and there can go a long way.
#3 We can keep God’s Word hidden in our hearts by meditating on God’s Word.
The Psalmist of Psalm 119 who hid God’s Word in His heart also in verse 15 shared how he also meditated on God’s truth. He writes:
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” (Psalm 119:15 ESV)
When I memorized the verses that I shared above, I didn’t just remember them and end it there. I meditated on them and thought about how they relate to my current situation. It’s not enough to know the verse, but to understand how it impacts your life and relationship with God.
Meditating on God’s Word means giving space in our minds to think about God’s truth. This helps us to keep God’s word in our hearts because when we meditate on God’s word, we then fall in love with His truth. And when we love the truth, we’ll live the truth.
Satan knows the Bible; he recited verses to Jesus in Matthew 4 to tempt Jesus. But knowing the truth is not the same as loving the truth. When we really take time to meditate on God’s Word and acquaint ourselves with the good news of the Bible, we treasure God’s Word in our hearts.
Meditation on God’s Word takes us beyond simply knowing the words in the Bible, to understanding the impact of those words in our everyday lives. When we gain that understanding, we’ll move from simply knowing the Bible to delighting in its truths.
Keeping God’s Word hidden in our hearts ensures His truth is always with us. One of the greatest hindrances to our walk with God is our own forgetfulness. We forget that God is good, we forget that He’s already covered our sins, we forget that He’s in control and we can trust Him, and we forget all the good that He’s done for us in the past. Keeping God’s Word in our hearts helps us not to forget that we may be encouraged, equipped, and eternally changed by the truth of His Word.
Now I’d love to hear from you, Beloved. Do you have a memory verse that you think on in cases of emergency? Let me know what it is in the comments.
To help you keep God’s Word in your heart, I’ve created a memory scripture worksheet with scripture verses organized by topic for you to memorize or meditate on when you need them most. Click here to download for free today.
If you liked this video, I also want to invite you to check out my video Bible study series “Matters of the Heart '' a Bible study on emotional wellness through the book of Psalms. Click here to learn more and study with me.
As always, thank you so much for watching! Until next time be beautiful, be blessed, and beloved.