Treasuring God’s Word

"I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).  The typical teaching or exhortation that accompanies verses like this one emphasize the importance of memorizing Bible verses.  Memorizing is indeed one vital application of this verse, but the meaning goes deeper than that.  Notice carefully where the word is to be stored up.  It is to dwell not only in the mind, but in the heart.  This implies that truth must not only be memorized, which is a function of the mind, but that it must be loved.  Our hearts must be deeply and passionately affected by God’s word.  And our goal in doing this is not memorization for its own sake.  The Christian is to treasure up Scripture in order to practice it.  Truth is meant to sanctify; it is to stored up to prevent the dominion of sin.  It is a great evil for a believer to be a stranger to the Bible, to be unaquainted with it!  By God’s grace truth should become deeply rooted in our hearts.  If it does, it will give us a very great advantage in the spiritual life.  More on this tomorrow.