Store Up

Ps. 119:11 is a verse i memorized a number of years ago with my children.  NIV84 says "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You."  Wonderful verse! And we are to hide His Word in our heart.

Last night I was reading Ps. 119 in the ESV. That version says "I have stored up Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You."

The point is the same.. we need to be learning.. memorizing.. God's Word. But I really love the ESV wording.. "Stored Up"  It is a picture of preparation.. of making ready.  

And we don't wait until the panic moment to grab Words and hastily try to learn them, we store up during the "good" times. Proverbs 6:6&8 points the lazy sluggard to look at the ways of the ant. I think the ant's ways apply to learning Scripture and this thought of storing up..

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise....
7 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

Prepares her bread... the Word is our daily bread.  I picture us preparing it by being in it.. reading.. studying..learning it..

And gathers her food... She is storing up during the time of plenty to be ready for lean times.. difficulties.. 

We need to be preparing.. to be in the Word daily, reading it.. studying it.. learning it.. and we need to be gathering it up.. storing it in our hearts knowing we will have it  for the battle we do each and every day with our flesh, the World and an enemy who is relentless in His pursuit.

Delight in the Word

"If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction."  Ps. 119:92

No doubt this verse shows that God's word upholds us.. protects us.. etc. during difficult times, but I also see a daily application.  if I delight in something, I will make time for it.  So if I delight in His Word, I'll be in it .. daily.. reading, studying, meditating, memorizing.

Doing this daily, even when life is going good, builds that foundation.. that fortification.. for when the tough stuff happens (and it will happen!) and it is easier to delight and dig in when life is going smooth.

Trails, testings, etc are to build and strengthen our faith.

I believe "smooth" sailings are to build our faith's foundation.. our footing as it were.. to sharpen our swords... to condition  ourselves.. to make ready for what is to come.

That "smooth" sailing is our study time and those trials our exams. We can't really cram because we rarely see the exam coming.. they are more like pop quizzes! And I, for one, want to pass... so I need to be in the Word daily!

I am praying for a heart that delights in the Word... praying that Jeremiah 15:16 would be true in my life...

Your Words were found and I ate them. 

They were a joy to me and the delight of my heart 

for I am called by Your Name, O Lord.

How much light do you want?

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Ps. 119:105

I heard a neat analogy in Bible study recently.... if you learn 1 verse a Scripture, it is like having a little penlight to guide you along your path of life. If you have 10 verses memorized, you have a flashlight's worth of light. 100 verses... headlights.... 1000 verses... football stadium lights!

Now the point isn't that you need to learn 1000 verses (although that would be wonderful!), the point is that each verse you read and learn and take with you provides light on your path. So the more verses you have in you, the brighter the light and the clearer the path.

As I was thinking about this a few days later, God brought to mind the fact that Jesus is the Light of the World... He is also the Word made flesh... so the more verses means the more light means more Jesus! How could you not want more of Him in your life? Just imagine how bright your path can be!