Hide it in Your Heart
When I was a little girl, I struggled to learn. Reading was hard. Math...donʼt get me started. I couldnʼt explain to teachers what was (or wasnʼt) going on in my brain. I just knew everything felt too hard for me.
My parents didnʼt have a lot of money, but somehow they sent me to Christian School my kindergarten and first grade years. Try as I might, I never did well.
One day, my first grade teacher announced to the class, “Today we are going to start a contest to see who can memorize the most Scriptures.” She said this as she passed out cut out dogs and dog bowls to each student. “At the end of our contest, whoever has the most dog bones in their puppyʼs dog dish, wins a prize.” Each time we learned a verse in the Bible we would receive a dog bone to put into our dog dish. The student with the most dog bones won.
“I can do this!” I thought! I was so excited! I took the list of verses home. I learned as many as my little first grade mind could handle. I was a lean, mean memorization machine!
The last day of the contest arrived. After the teacher tallied the scores of all the students, the winner was announced… I won the contest with 32 bones in my dog dish!
I donʼt remember what prize I won that day, but a far better reward had been set in motion: a love of memorizing Scripture! Yet, thatʼs not the best part. Godʼs Word was planted in a little girlʼs heart and mind. That seed grew as I grew older. I have been in situations, and all of the sudden, Scripture has come to my mind. I have been praying with some and Scripture flashed back into my mind . Iʼve cried out to God in my own pain and struggles, and Godʼs Word comforted my soul, bringing peace. In my encounters with unbelieving friends, a verse has guided my words. So many times, so many situations, hiding Godʼs Word in my heart (Psalm 119:11) has kept me from bad choices and illuminated the right ones.
Scripture is vital to a growing, active faith. Since winning the scripture memory contest so long ago, I’ve learned these four lessons:
God has spoken for Himself. I donʼt need to wonder what He thinks of a matter. Heʼs told me (and you) in His Word. (Hebrews 1:1; John 1:1-4)
God said relationship with Him requires obedience. (John 8:31-32; Luke 6:46)
God changes hearts and minds through His Word. (Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 4:12-16)
Godʼs Word is how I fight back against temptation and the devilʼs schemes. (Matthew 4:1-11)
Jesus left us with a powerfully convincing truth, comparing a man who acts in two differing ways. “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:47-49
I want to be an unshakable house with a firm foundation! I donʼt want ANY storm to shake me. I want a steady confidence in my Lord and Savior. How about you? Why not start taking Godʼs Word seriously and hide it in your heart? What does this look like in your faith journey?
In this very moment, I challenge you to consider what this looks like for you and choose to implement change through active obedience to Him. Youʼll never be the same and you wonʼt regret it!
~ Lori Schiewek