Psalm 119:11 Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Such was David's wise precaution against temptation, but we have a far higher example of the use of such precaution in the history of the temptation of our Lord. The holy Redeemer made his appeal to the Word of God, and in so doing He teaches us where to find succour and strength against temptation. The text shows us — I. A VIEW OF THE INTERNAL PRINCIPLE WHICH ACTUATES A GOOD MAN. It is a heart inspired with love to God. II. ONE OF THE EFFORTS OF THAT PRINCIPLE — he hides God's Word in his heart. Not merely in his memory, not in the intellectual powers of the mind, but in the city and citadel, where the affections dwell, where reason governs, the home of motive, of principle, and feeling. The memory should be the storehouse of the Divine truth; it is often the very quiver of God, from which He draws His arrows of conviction, and the storehouse where He draws comfort and peace for His people. I believe the human mind never forgets; what it seizes, it never lets go. The mind acquires, retains, hides up, and in a moment brings back past thoughts. This is a power of vast importance in a moral point of view. How well, then, that our minds should be stored with Divine truth. The Holy Ghost brings thence those things concerning God and so teaches us. Children should learn the very words of Scripture, even when they cannot fully understand them. But they will have their use some future day. But not in the memory alone did David hide God's Word, but in his heart. Love needed to understand God's Word. Suitable dispositions are like proper lights to a painting — it cannot else be rightly seen. Now with the Word of God hid in our hearts, lovingly treasured up, we shall find a preservative against temptation, as did our Lord. What raises such a barrier against sin of all kinds as the Word of God lovingly remembered? You know how a pebble from a poor shepherd boy slew, in days of old, a most powerful and defiant giant; but then the pebble was taken from the brook in the spirit of confidence in God. And so we must take forth the teachings of God's Word in a spirit of confidence that God will give us His promised strength. Then hide up God's Word in your heart, and pray the Holy Spirit to visit you as the remembrancer in your moments of need. (C. J. Phipps Eyre, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.WEB: I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. |
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