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Chances are you are familiar with this verse from Psalm 119:11:
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
When you hide something in your heart, it’s there to stay, isn’t it? It’s in a place where no one can take it from you—it’s hidden there for you whenever you need it. And the Psalmist notes that hiding God’s word in that special place gives you victory over sin.
Is there some sin in your life—maybe something nobody knows about but you—but some habit or addiction or sinful way that you haven’t been able yet to conquer? You want to but as hard as you try, it just sticks around. Have you hidden God’s word in your heart? That’s the secret to living a pure life that pleases the Lord. That’s the secret to being a victorious Christian who blesses many others because of that hidden word.
Here at The Christian Working Woman I’ve decided to make this a high priority for me and to encourage others to join me. I’m calling this new program The Hidden Word, and we have designed a simple program to help you hide God’s word in your heart. Some people call Scripture memorization a spiritual discipline, but I prefer to call it a spiritual benefit that is ours when we are Christians.
The Bible says “But the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:25). I can testify to this because my dear mother memorized Scripture all her life. She had a plan that she followed; it was a discipline, but she never thought of it that way. It was her delight. And because she had hidden God’s word in her heart so faithfully for so many years, she grew sweeter and more Christ-like as she aged. And in the last years, when dementia was taking a toll, many things she could not remember, but she could quote the Word of God because it was hidden in her heart and nobody could take it away from her. It endured forever.