How to Hide the Word of God in Your Heart

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

There is a kind of Bible study that goes beyond reading, Bible memorization, group Bible studies, subject studies, and looking at Old Testament references in their context. Meditation is more mystical and practical. That may sound like a contradiction.

Let me tell you what meditation is not. It is not looking for a deeper, hidden meaning in a te. It is not looking for a codified arrangement of the text; it is not numerology. And it is not saying that the plain meaning of the text that we got from our previous reading and studying is not the right meaning. We probably got the right meaning, and we can repeat it back. We know the text!

What, then, is this kind of Bible study? Well, it is not our understanding; it is where we understand it. Do we understand it in our heads or do we understand it in our hearts? Most study ends up in head knowledge. In other words, if we were given a lab exam on what we had studied, we might not do as well as we would do in a written exam.

If we had studied Matthew 5:38-48, we might come up with the right answers on paper. Would we do as well if we were put into a laboratory with evil people who persecuted us, sued us, hit us, forced miles upon us, asked us for money, and borrowed things from us?

When I go into this kind of a lab, I must have everything I know about the Bible transferred to my heart. My actions—planned and unplanned—come from there, not from my head. Having it in my heart makes it practical. This is where I want to store all of this good stuff so that when I overflow, good stuff comes out. Here are three teachings from the gospels that describe this practicality, good and bad.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. (Matt. 12:34-35)

"Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him "unclean.” ... He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'” (Mark 7:15, 20-23)

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

Transferring true knowledge to my heart is a mystical event. It is not done by concentration or hard study. Early in my Christian life I memorized a lot of Scripture verses. I knew them word-for-word, with their references. I could call them up at anytime. It did not occur to me, or to others, that I was not living out these Scriptures.

After about three years, I got suspicious. It was one thing for my brain to overflow and spout out Scripture. It was another thing, entirely, for my heart to overflow. I thought that memorizing Scripture was hiding His Word in my heart. It was not; it was hiding His word in my head. In other words, I might be able to pass a written test. It was a sure thing that I would not pass the lab test.

I thank God that neither test is given, since we have been saved by grace. After we have been saved by grace, we are to be careful to do good works. “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10)

Our new birth guarantees that we do not continue to sin, that is live in sin.

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:6)

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Rom. 6:18)

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Rom. 6:22)

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:19-23)

These Scriptures are not commands, they are indicative statements. They just are.

There are "heart" commands given to us after the new birth. For example: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:1-2). These good works, whether they be the fruit of the Spirit or physical actions and words, are works that come from our hearts. The truth is that we are in the lab all of the time.

Let’s look at a few Bible examples of this lab.

Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12-14)

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. (Phil. 2:14-16)

But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. (Matt. 5:39-42)

Each of these texts contains commands. Look at them again! What do they say? Do you understand them? Are they clear?

You may have other questions. If they are questions like, “What does it mean?”, “Where do you draw the line?”, “You mean I cannot invite my parents?”, “How rich?”, “Suppose he is wrong!”, “Suppose he is evil!”, then you probably understand in your head and certainly do not understand with your heart. To understand with your head, ask this question: “Is it clear?”

After you answer yes, praise God with thanksgiving. When you thank God for His commands, you will begin to hide the Word in your heart.

How do you continue? Soak in these Scriptures, muse, meditate on them so that you begin to pray for the lame and the blind, your enemies, and evil people. Confess anything in your heart that is hindering willing heart obedience. Then begin to anticipate, long for, and pray for an opportunity to obey without conditions or excuses.

If you do not understand the previous paragraphs, and you are a Christian, something is very wrong. It may be that you are too comfortable in your evangelical church. You realize that if you suddenly obeyed these commands from the heart, you would be out of step with your friends. In other words, you do not want to be godly if it means being different from the rest of the saints.

Meditation does not take study. It takes prayerful, willing submission to the text. That is why and how it can be done all of the time.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8)

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

Soon, you will anticipate and long for opportunities to put your meditation into action.