Learning By Heart

UV 4172/10000 Learning By Heart I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119 v 11 To protect ourselves against bullets, we need to wear a bullet proof jacket on the outside of us but to protect ourselves from sin and temptation, we need to hide God’s word in our hearts. The word stored in our minds do not help us with fighting temptations but the word stored in our hearts will certainly protect us against sin. For each type of offence, there is a specific word that needs to be stored in our hearts. The moment the temptation arises, the specific word will come up to defend us from committing that specific sinful act or saying the sinful thing or even thinking it. We need not wear our faith on our sleeve but we need to hide the word. People may not even be aware of the reason we do not commit specific acts that are offensive to God as the word in us is kept hidden. The word needs to saturate our hearts, our thoughts, our emotions for the circumcision of our hearts. It helps us to avoid doubting God in our difficult circumstances even as it increases our resistance to sin. The way to hide the word in our hearts is not merely to read and forget it but to meditate on every word in scripture portions that speak to us in specific circumstances or situations of life. In our weak moments of spirit, mind or body, the word will augment our inner strength, courage, trust in God, confidence. The word once committed to heart does not remain dormant but being alive, active creates changes in our inner man. It transforms us from within. The Spirit of God in His role as Remembrancer reminds us of specific word that the Lord has spoken into our lives. In His role as Counsellor and Comforter, too He flashes the light on specific promises of God to encourage us, guide us, comfort us. When we were young students, our teachers asked us to learn by heart certain important texts or portions. In the context of the word, learning by heart takes on a new meaning and significance in our lives. Learning by heart implies a total commitment to live by the word and not just be hearers or preachers of the word. We need to live or hang on every word spoken by the Lord to us, giving it priority, time, attention and total obedience. Belief and obedience to the word opens up opportunities for supernatural favour, blessings, grace to flow in and through us. We become a live wire of and for God.