“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 ESV).
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and is located near the center of Scripture. It is an acrostic poem using all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, with each stanza beginning with a successive letter. The psalmist repeatedly employed various terms to describe God’s Word—such as “statutes,” “precepts,” and “commandments”—in a beautiful celebration of its worth. Verse 11 emphasized the intentional act of “storing up” or “hiding” God’s Word in the heart, which pointed to memorization and internalizing Scripture. This practice was shown to guard against sin. It reminds us of Christ’s example during His temptation in the wilderness (Matt. 4), where He answered each satanic challenge by quoting Scripture. Furthermore, while Psalm 119 exalted the written Word, the New Testament revealed that Christ Himself is the Living Word who “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Thus, hiding God’s Word in our hearts not only equips us against sin but also draws us closer to Christ, the embodiment of the Word.
We must commit ourselves to storing God’s Word in our hearts through consistent reading, meditation, and memorization. As we do so, we allow the Word to confront and correct our sinful tendencies. Just as Jesus modeled in the wilderness, we can combat temptation with Scripture, recalling it in moments of trial. Memorizing God’s Word helps us think His thoughts, align our desires with His will, and experience ongoing transformation as we allow it to rewrite the “hard drive” of our minds. Let us recommit ourselves today to actively study and treasure Scripture in our hearts so that we might walk in obedience and reflect Christ more fully.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we ask that You help us faithfully hide Your Word in our hearts. Give us discipline to memorize and meditate on Scripture daily. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to resist sin and to walk in Your truth. Draw us ever closer to Christ, the Living Word, that our lives may honor You. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.