When we moved last spring, one of our priorities was the construction of a hay barn on our new property: a place where feed for our livestock could be kept dry while also allowing fresh air to circulate. Hay that is not protected and does … Read more
Psalm 119:9-11 – How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV)
When we moved last spring, one of our priorities was the construction of a hay barn on our new property: a place where feed for our livestock could be kept dry while also allowing fresh air to circulate. Hay that is not protected and does not have good air circulation becomes mouldy and inedible, which can lead to hunger or even starvation for the livestock if feed cannot be replaced throughout the winter.
As I was thinking on these things while I was out feeding the animals, these thoughts occurred to me: how do I protect the spiritual nourishment of God's Word within my heart? How do I store it in this earthly temple or barn of mine, so that its wisdom is readily available day by day within my heart and mind in order to feed me in the righteous ways of the Lord?
Today's Scripture reading begins to give us some answers to these pertinent questions. The psalmist first states that he puts God's Word into action within his life. He doesn't just read it; he practices it by living it continually and diligently. Practice teaches us that God's Word never fails, and that it is always right and true and for our good. Such experiences and repetition have the power to write its truth upon our minds with the indelible ink of God's faithfulness, so that His word is forever there within us to draw upon as needed.
The psalmist also hides Scripture within his heart. In other words, he reads it, writes it, or speaks it aloud, often enough that he remembers it. Once again, the habit of practice is being applied. The Word thus becomes a part of him. It is storing itself up for future nourishment, especially amidst the spiritual winter seasons that we all experience from time to time.
These verses also reveal something else vitally important: the psalmist puts his relationship with God first in his life. God is number One. It's about what God wants, not about what he wants. This, in turn, grants the Holy Spirit the freedom and power not only to motivate him to know God better by studying the Scriptures, but also to circulate throughout his heart and mind the wisdom and truth of those words, which then overflow into all his decisions, as well as to all those around him. Those words can do the same for us, as we, too, practice the protection of God's Word within us.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your Word. May we, like the psalmist, practice good habits that empower us to protect and store Your Word within our hearts and minds, that we, too, might not sin against You. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.