The Word of God lives and abides in you. Peter said in his first epistle, “… having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1:23). Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” The Word of God is indeed a treasure worth hiding. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” No thief can steal it and no moth can corrupt it. It enriches the life of every person who keeps its precepts and hides it in the heart in order to be pure.
As said before, the hiding place for the Word of God is the heart. It’s the very center of our moral being. It’s the seat of emotions, the source of influence, and the determiner of destiny (Proverbs 4:23; Mark 7:21). This is the only place to hide the Word of God.
The final aspect which must be considered is the reason for hiding the Word in the heart. Should we do it because we want to show off our knowledge and superiority, therefore feeding our pride? Should we do it to be able to silence anyone in argument? The psalmist did not care about any of these things. He knew the horror of sin and he knew that the greatest safeguard against sin was the Word of God. Therefore he said, “That I might not sin against You.” In Matthew 4:1-11, the Word of God in the heart of the Savior also saved Him from sin. Do you have it in your heart? Could it save you? If you keep it in the heart for the right reason, it can.
Kyle Campbell
