Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for May 23

HAVE YOU HIDDEN GOD’S WORD IN YOUR HEART?

From: May 23, 2025

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 ESV).

The psalmist expresses a heartfelt commitment to internalize God’s Word. To “store up” or “hide” His Word in the heart means more than casual reading or occasional reflection. It is a deliberate act of treasuring God’s truth so deeply that it shapes our desires and decisions. The purpose is clear: to live in a way that honors God and avoids sin. This verse reveals the guiding power of Scripture when it is embedded within us. It becomes a safeguard for our souls.

How do we store up God’s Word in our hearts? First, we must believe and receive it as the authoritative truth from God. Then, we begin to study it diligently. We commit verses to memory and meditate on them throughout the day. This is not a mechanical task but a spiritual discipline that renews our minds and reshapes our lives. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He responded not with emotion or argument but with the Word of God. Each time, He said, “It is written,” and quoted Scripture. That same power is available to us when we take the time to internalize the Bible.

When temptations come or trials arise, our natural reactions will flow from what we have stored in our hearts. If God’s Word dwells there, it will guide our responses and keep us from falling into sin. Let us be intentional about Scripture memory and meditation, trusting that God will use His Word to transform us from the inside out. Just as we nourish our bodies daily, we must also feed our spirits with God’s truth. The Word we hide in our hearts today may be the very Word that strengthens us tomorrow.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the gift of Your Word. Help us to treasure it deeply and store it in our hearts. Give us discipline to study and memorize it, and wisdom to apply it each day. When we are tempted, bring Your truth to mind. Teach us to walk in obedience through the power of Your Word. Shape our thoughts, guard our hearts, and help us live in a way that pleases You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH GOD’S WORD?

From: May 23, 2024

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Psalms 119:15-16 ESV).

Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem based on the Hebrew alphabet. It is a meditation on the majesty and wonder of God’s Word. Consider the psalmist’s declaration of determination saying, “I will.” He had decided in advance to “meditate on” and find his “delight” in God’s Word. As an act of the will, the psalmist would seek happiness and joy in God’s ordinances. He would not seek the world’s happiness, but the Lord’s.

He had also decided that he would not forget God’s Word. How might he keep that promise to himself? Surely, he had decided to study, memorize and even sing God’s Word, so that he would always remember it. He would read it daily, even write it on the walls and doors of his house to keep it before his eyes.

Have you made such a determination to meditate on and find your delight in God’s Word, never forgetting it?

PRAYER: Dear Father, just as we hunger and thirst for food and water, so our souls hunger and thirst for Your Word. We love Your Word and delight in it. Your Word is life. Jesus is Your Word made flesh. We have received and trusted in Him. He lives in us by Your Spirit. Strengthen us to follow Him in all things this day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

SERVE ONE ANOTHER

From: May 23, 2023

“And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15 NLT).

On the night of the last supper, Jesus got up from the table, laid aside His robe, took a towel and tied it around His waist, then He poured water in a basin and began to wash His disciples feet, drying them with the towel. Peter told Jesus that He would never allow Him to wash his feet. But Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.” So Peter replied that in that case he would like Jesus to wash his hands and head too.

Jesus washed His disciples feet, not only because they were dirty and needed cleansing. But also because He was teaching them an important lesson, namely that of servant-leadership. For as Jesus taught them at another time: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (Matt. 20:25-26).

Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world, stooped down and washed His disciples dirty feet. How much more should we as His disciples serve one another. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Serve one another humbly in love” (Gal. 5:13).

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are amazed and thankful that You sent Your Son as a servant to wash our feet and as a sacrifice to die in our place. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to serve others as You have shown us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“So Judas left at once, going out into the night” (John 13:30 NLT).

From: May 23, 2022

SIN ALWAYS GOES OUT INTO THE NIGHT

The one who leaves Jesus and his disciples to go “out into the night” will hurt Christ and his church, but in the end will be the one most harmed by that decision. That is what sin does. It caused Adam to hide in the shadows of the garden from the Lord. It caused Saul to search for answers under cover of darkness from a medium. Sin always leads to separation. Sin always goes “out into the night” to do its work.

But the righteous walk in the light of day. They do not leave the Lord’s table. They stay even when the Lord rebukes as he did Peter saying, “Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you.”

Don’t give into sin’s pull. When the Lord speaks of washing feet, suffering and dying for him, stay. It will seem easier and perhaps even beneficial to push away from the table. Yet, no matter how difficult the Lord’s Word is for you, stay at the table. Do not go “out into the night.”

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are often tempted by secret sins. We wouldn’t want anyone to know of our hidden habits, but You know. Yet, You still love and forgive us. Lord, teach us to always walk in the light. And help us to always stay at the Lord’s table in fellowship, never leaving to go out into the night. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14 HCSB).

From: May 23, 2021

SERVE ONE ANOTHER

On the night of the last supper, Jesus got up from the table, laid aside His robe, took a towel and tied it around His waist, then He poured water in a basin and began to wash His disciples feet, drying them with the towel. Peter told Jesus that He would never allow Him to wash his feet. But Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.” So Peter replied that in that case he would like Jesus to wash his hands and head too.

Jesus washed His disciples feet, not only because they were dirty and needed cleansing. But also because He was teaching them an important lesson, namely that of servant-leadership. For as Jesus taught them at another time: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (Matt. 20:25-26).

Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world, stooped down and washed His disciples dirty feet. How much more should we as His disciples serve one another. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Serve one another humbly in love” (Gal. 5:13).

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are amazed and thankful that You sent Your Son as a servant to wash our feet and as a sacrifice to die in our place. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to serve others as You have shown us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (Psalms 119:16 NKJV).

From: May 23, 2020

HAVE YOU DETERMINED WHERE TO FIND YOUR DELIGHT?

Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem based on the Hebrew alphabet. It is a meditation on the majesty and wonder of God’s Word. Consider the psalmist’s declaration of determination saying, “I will.” He decided in advance to find his delight in God’s statutes. As an act of the will, the psalmist would seek happiness and joy in God’s ordinances. He would not seek the world’s happiness, but the Lord’s.

He had also decided that he would not forget God’s Word. How might he keep that promise to himself? Surely, he had decided to study, memorize and even sing God’s Word, so that he would always remember it. He would read it daily, even write it on the walls and doors of his house to keep it before his eyes.

Have you made such a determination to find your delight in God’s Word, never forgetting it?

PRAYER: Dear Father, just as we hunger and thirst for food and water, so our souls hunger and thirst for Your Word. We love Your Word and delight in it. Your Word is life. Jesus is Your Word made flesh. We have received and trusted in Him. He lives in us by Your Spirit. Strengthen us to follow Him in all things this day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“So Judas left at once, going out into the night” (John 13:30 NLT).

From: May 23, 2019

SIN GOES OUT INTO THE NIGHT

The one who leaves Jesus and his disciples to go “out into the night” will hurt Christ and his church, but in the end will be the one most harmed by that decision. That is what sin does. It caused Adam to hide in the shadows of the garden from the Lord. It caused Saul to search for answers under cover of darkness from a medium. Sin always leads to separation. Sin goes “out into the night” to do its work. But the righteous walk in the light of day. They do not leave the Lord’s table. They stay even when the Lord rebukes as he did Peter saying, “Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you.” Don’t give into sin’s pull. When the Lord speaks of washing feet, suffering and dying for him, stay. It will seem easier and perhaps even beneficial to leave the table. Yet, no matter how difficult the Lord’s Word is for you, stay at the table. Do not go “out into the night.”

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are often tempted by secret sins. We wouldn’t want anyone to know of our hidden habits, but You know. Yet, You still love and forgive us. Lord, teach us to always walk in the light. And help us to always stay at the Lord’s table in fellowship, never leaving to go out into the night. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me” (John 13:20 NLT).

From: May 23, 2018

CHRIST’S FOLLOWERS ARE CHRIST’S MESSENGERS

On the night before Christ’s crucifixion, He reminded the disciples that whoever welcomed or rejected them were in reality welcoming or rejecting Him. In addition, the way people responded to them would also affect their relationship with the Father. For the one who welcomes Jesus, welcomes the Father, but the one who rejects Jesus, rejects the Father.

As believers, we are messengers of Christ. We must learn not to be overly concerned about whether someone welcomes or rejects us. We are not to live as people-pleasers, fearing the rejection of man. For if we live as messengers of Christ, some will welcome us and some will reject us, but all will in reality be responding to Christ. And how they respond will determine their eternity. So, let us boldly declare the message of Christ to all we meet!

“Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, since whatever the king did pleased all the people” (2 Samuel 3:36 NKJV).

From: May 23, 2017

After Abner was murdered by Joab, King David made it clear to all Israel and Judah that he had nothing to do with his death. The way David honored Abner, the deceased general of Israel’s army, persuaded the people of David’s integrity. And even though it was David’s general Joab who killed Abner, the people did not hold it against David.

David was not only anointed of God to be king, the Lord had also given him favor with all the people. For of what other political leader could it be said, whatever he did “pleased all the people”? After years of persecution by King Saul, David finally enjoyed the favor of God and of God’s people.

Yet, it can’t be said that David was a people-pleaser. No. He sought to please God, and the Lord gave him favor with the people of God. David led with integrity and the Lord honored him with favor.

Oh, to have a king like David today! Yet, there will soon be One even greater than he. His name is King Jesus, Son of David. He is the true “Anointed One,” and He will soon return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 ESV)

From: May 23, 2016

How do you “store up” (“hide”) God’s Word in your heart? First believe it and receive it. Then, study and commit it to memory, so that it begins to re-write your thinking. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, He responded with Scripture every time. Memorize and repeat the Word to face today’s challenges.