Psalm 119:11 - The Importance of Memorizing Scripture.
Psalm 119:11 (KJV) Thy word have I hid in
mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
INTRODUCTION
Scripture memorization is a defense against
sin. Hiding (keeping) God's Word in our hearts is
a deterrent to sin. This alone should inspire
us to memorize Scripture. But memorization
alone will not keep us from sin; we must also put
God's Word to work in our lives, making it a vital
guide for everything we do. [Life Application SB]
Every promise in God's word is ours. "By
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God" are we to live. When assailed by temptation,
look not to circumstances or to the weakness of
self, but to the power of the word. All its
strength is yours. {DA 123}
COMMENTARY PEARL
Are You Hiding Gods Word on Your Shelf or
in Your Heart?
The more of Gods Word you get into
your mind, the more defenses you will have
against persistent temptation.
In fact, the Bible is part of your
emergency kit for temptation. The Bible calls this
hiding Gods Word in your heart. The Message
paraphrase of this verse says, "I've banked your
promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin"
(Psalm 119:11).
You hide Gods Word in your heart, or
memorize it. Then, when Satan tempts you, you say,
"That's not right, because I know that God says
this. When Satan came to Jesus in the wilderness,
he gave Jesus three big temptations. Every time
Satan tempted him, Jesus quoted a Bible verse back
to him. If this is the approach Jesus used to
resist Satan, then its the same one you should
use too.
When Satan tempts you, you don't want to
pull out the Bible app on your phone and say,
"Now, I know somewhere in here, there's a verse
that says not to do that. That's not helpful.
But when you have Gods Word memorized, then
the Holy Spirit can remind you of its truth.
You have to start memorizing Gods Word
if you want to have an effective tool for
victory over the persistent temptations in your
life. If you know the areas in which you are most
vulnerable to temptation, then you can find the verses
in the Bible that talk about those things. Then
you write those verses down on an index card and
read them over and over until you have them
memorized.
There is no shortcut to learning the
discipline of memorizing Scripture. You just have to
start and then be persistent, trusting God to help
you learn and remember everything you need for
spiritual growth.
The Bible is worthless to you when its
sitting on the shelf in your home. But with Gods
Word in your mind, it becomes a powerful weapon
to fight every temptation Satan can throw at
you. Start today by finding some Bible verses
that will help you in the areas where you're
weak.
Then bank them in the vault of your
heart. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Christ's humanity was united with divinity;
He was fitted for the conflict by the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us
partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are
united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion
over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us
to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity
of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of
character. And how this is accomplished, Christ has
shown us. By what means did He overcome in the
conflict with Satan? By the word of God. Only by the
word could He resist temptation. "It is written,"
He said. And unto us are given "exceeding great
and precious promises: that by these ye might be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter
1:4. Every promise in God's word is ours. "By
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God" are we to live. When assailed by temptation,
look not to circumstances or to the weakness of
self, but to the power of the word. All its
strength is yours. DA123
God's holy, educating Spirit is in His word.
A light, a new and precious light, shines
forth from every page. Truth is there revealed,
and words and sentences are made bright and
appropriate for the occasion, as the voice of God
speaking to the soul The promises spoken by the
great Teacher will captivate the senses and
animate the soul with spiritual power that is
divine. There will grow in the fruitful mind a
familiarity with divine things that will be as a
barricade against temptation. The words of truth will
grow in importance, and assume a breadth and
fullness of meaning of which we have never dreamed.
The beauty and riches of the word have a
transforming influence on mind and character. COL132
The heart preoccupied with the word of God
is fortified against Satan. Those who make
Christ their daily companion and familiar friend
will feel that the powers of an unseen world are
all around them; and by looking to Jesus they
will become assimilated to His image. By
beholding they become changed to the divine pattern;
their character is softened, refined, and ennobled
for the heavenly kingdom." 6T616
If you "hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches," and meditate upon the instruction given to
them, your ears will be closed to the folly and
nonsense which surround you. You will neither hear
and repeat these things, nor will you ever
hanker after them. When Christ satisfies the soul
hunger, these trivialities are to you distasteful
and disgusting. You have no desire to feast upon
them, but choose instead the bread of heaven (MS
92, 1901 re Rev.2:7). 7BC 957
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 119:11 - Memorizing Scripture.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230604-1035.html
Matthew 4:4 - Spiritual Food Is Necessary
for Spirit Living.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200618-0839.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
