Psalm 119: 10-12  “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.”

May these words from Psalm 119 be our daily heartfelt prayer. 

I heard this scripture on the radio the other day while driving and I immediately felt a sense of joy and peace as I thought about all that I now have hidden in my heart. As I heard that scripture it caused me to think about the many promises from God I know to be true; promises I have learned about through His Word. It caused me to think about the wonderful, loving character of God which I have learned about through His Word. It caused me to think about the great love God has for me, which I also discovered in His Word.

Just by hearing that scripture I was able to draw upon countless other scriptures that I have tucked away in my heart and be filled with love and gratitude for my God! It was a beautiful moment to connect with God and become very aware of my great love for Him.

As you read the scripture from Psalm 119 above are you filled with peace and joy? I hope so! 

Here’s why: 
God deeply desires to have a personal relationship with us and to share in every detail of our lives. It is His greatest delight to be near and commune with us. He created us so we can spend time together, because it brings Him great joy to do so!

We find God in His Word. He is there and His Word is alive and active. As we read His Word, we become connected with God through the Holy Spirit and we feel His presence moving in us. As we desire to know Him more, He gives us greater understanding to His Word.  God will always increase our understanding and revelation if we ask Him to. It is limitless. As we read, our heart becomes open to receive His truth and His love through His Word. Every time we read scripture, we tuck away truths about who God is, who we are to Him, and how to live victoriously in Christ. Everything we need to know to live an abundant life filled with joy and peace, to overcome all obstacles, and to love others as Jesus does, is all found in His Word.

We can find the answer to every challenge we will face in His Word. 

Best yet, we can seek God’s Word first BEFORE we encounter our challenges and already have His truths hidden deep in our hearts! By doing this, we are equipped as we hit those challenges, to come out victorious! 

This is why God tells us in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

God’s kingdom is righteousness, joy and peace. When we seek Him and His kingdom we are filled with His righteousness (that we might not sin against Him), and we are filled with His joy and peace that cannot be shaken by any temporary circumstance we walk through.

The more we read His Word and let it change us, the more we are prepared to battle the spiritual forces against us. We read in Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

We have to be prepared to stand firm in the Word of God when the enemy comes to attack-through our relationships, our thoughts, and our faith. As we truly know the character of God, we know we can trust His Word as our foundation and our guide.

As we read His Word, we store up treasures in our heart that will always be there to draw on as a source of comfort, clarity, and courage. 

We read in 2 Corinthians 10: 5 “…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We are able to take control of our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ as we know the Word of God. We draw upon what we have stored up in our hearts to light our path when we stumble in the dark, to help show grace and patience when we want to be annoyed, to enable us to love others who aren’t very lovable, and to believe God has a purpose for our lives when all looks hopeless.

Let us be eager to learn God’s Word and let us store it deep within our hearts! Make God and His Word be your greatest treasure now and always. May He shower you in His love.

Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father thank you so much for showing us who you are through your Word. We can see your true character, your amazing love, your magnificent power, and your saving grace all in your Word. We see our true identities as your children, revealing to us we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We see that we are precious to you and how very personable you are as we connect with you through your Word. Lord I want to store up your Word as a treasure in my heart. I want to hide your Word deep in my heart that I can remember it and access it at all times. I want to learn more about you and your ways Lord that I may walk in your righteousness. Teach me Father to walk in your ways, and help me to have a humble heart that surrenders to your will. Help me not to stray from your commands, but create in me a genuine desire to follow and trust in you. I praise you and thank you for your love and guiding hand in my life. In your precious son Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.