I’ve Hidden His Word in my Heart

I’m so grateful for my upbringing in church because that’s where I received the “solid rock” foundation for my life. My parents were wise in that “church” was our “go to” place for friendships, worshiping God, hearing His Word, AND in my opinion – the best place EVER to hang out with my girlfriends and check out the “new guy” that started coming to our church! Church was where I met the love of my life at age 12 that started a life-long romance.

It was at church where I was taught the “treasure” of not only reading God’s Word, the Bible, which contains HOLY SCRIPTURES (my word of the day) – the sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments, but also from my earliest years I was taught to hide God’s Word in my heart by memorizing SCRIPTURES. For extra incentive, in our Sunday School classes and Vacation Bible School we were given awards for memorizing certain scriptures. In our youth group we played Bible Sword Drills. The leader would call out a SCRIPTURE passage, for example “John 3:16”, and the first one to find it in their Bible and stand and read it, was the winner of a point. Most points got the prize.

Those times of scripture memorization paid off well for me. To this day, those scriptures are still embedded in my heart, and at a moment’s notice of weakness, temptation, concern, etc., one of those scriptures I learned would pop up on the screen of my mind and I’d give the enemy “what for” by quoting it to him. The enemy’s voice “You are afraid to do that!” God’s voice from His Word and in my heart is “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

I had the BEST role model. Jesus quoted SCRIPTURE to the enemy when he said to Jesus, (Matthew 4:3-4) “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered from Deuteronomy 8:3, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Maybe you weren’t raised the way I was, but it’s never too late to start memorizing some of those "life-line" SCRIPTURES. I know, I know. You don’t have time. Your memory isn’t what it used to be. You tried before and gave up. You think it’s too hard. I get it. Totally. Still, here’s what the Bible says: “Keep my words and store up my commands within you.” (Proverbs 7:1) Keep and store. That’s memorizing Scripture in a nutshell. You can do this, and it’s so worth it.

The benefits of having His Word in your heart? Huge. Some day, you may not have access to the Bible. What happens if you lost your sight, your hearing or even your Bible? I remember holocaust survivor, Corrie Ten Boom’s remarkable story and her witness of the power of memorized SCRIPTURE while she was in captivity. It was her life-line. Literally.

You’ll be able to share God’s truth with confidence. You’ll be able to refer to a scripture to a hurting friend. If we don’t know scripture, we’ll only be giving our opinion. Plus, when temptation knocks on your door, the verses you’ve memorized will come to your rescue. Countless times God’s Word has stopped me in my tracks before I veered down the wrong path. Like the Psalmist said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you”. Psalm 119:11

Here’s a few ideas on how to get started. Start with really short verses or ones you already know. It’s okay. The Bible Memorization Police won’t be stopping by your house.
~ Use your smart phone. Record your verses, so you can review them anytime, anywhere.
~ Aim for one verse a week. If you learn just one a week, that’s fifty two verses a year.
~ Say the verse out loud. Practice the verse while you’re walking, gardening, cleaning, exercising, bathing, dressing — anytime your mind is free to focus on God’s life-changing Word.
~ Teach the verse to others one-on-one or around the table with your family—and share what it means to you.
~ Finally, post your verse on social media. We all need as much wisdom as we can get.

The truth? It’s a tremendous blessing to have the Bible app on our cell phone, our laptop, and our bookshelf, but where it makes the most difference…..is hidden in our hearts.

Solid Rock Foundation

"And the wolf huffed and puffed and blew the house down." That's a line from "The 3 Little Pigs", a children's story where one little pig built his house with straw, another built his house with sticks and the third built his house with bricks. We all know the story -- the first two pigs' house fell because of the weak construction, but the 3rd pig, because he built his house using bricks, saved the day for all 3 pigs -- especially when the wolf couldn't blow that house down, but determined to go through the chimney to get the 3 little pigs, only to jump into a pot of boiling water. He ran away and never returned.

That story always comes to mind when the boys and I start working on their Gingerbread Houses. After a couple of years of really iffy construction and those walls and that roof just wouldn't stay together, I one-upped the directions. Instead of using the icing for the mortar....this year I used Gorilla Wood Glue! Alas, this year we had uneatable, but most certainly, a solid structure. This last photo is one that my nephew posted -- the easiest-to-build Ginger-Bread House ever! LOL!

Speaking of solid construction, in Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus was sharing about how, if we build our lives on His proof-positive-for-success teachings, and adhere to them, we'd be like the man who built his house on solid rock. The rains, floods, and winds came, but the house stood because it was built firmly on the solid rock. Unlike the "shifty" guy who built his house on shifting sand....the things of this world....the house succombed to the elements, and the house fell.

I'm convinced the fast track to our ultimate success in this new year, is to hear and do the words of our Master Carpenter -- and build on the SOLID ROCK. While we'd like to think that this 2017 year will be storm-free, it's quite unlikely that it will be -- whether it be a literal storm that can damage or destroy our home, a storm that comes with a challenging illness, or a time of great financial or relationship stress. Bottom line -- a good foundation is essential, for buildings AND for our lives. It's inevitable....the storms will come. Just as a tornado can come up out of nowhere to buffet a building, problems and tragedies can arise unexpectedly in the happiest lives. But, those who build their lives on a firm foundation, will take the storms in stride.

We've, personally, encountered some devastating storms, but those storms only proved the stability of our faith's foundation. We'd say in the toughest times, "I'm not sure how we're still standing, but we're still trusting in God, and there is peace in His presence in this storm, and we will come through this storm stronger." And, we did.

As I send out my best wishes, prayers, and thoughts to all of my FB friends and family for the most blessed new year EVER, I'm also sending out the "how to" message of weathering the storms. If we start this year out with putting God first and foremost in our lives, ONLY trusting in Him and His Word, we'll be standing on the sure foundation that never fails. I sing these words today for you and me from an old hymn written in 1834, "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." If this author penned those words before electricity was invented, and before all the conveniences and technology we know, how much more applicable are they to us in a "shifting" world today.