Scripture
Aleph
[1]1Joyful are people of integrity,
who follow the instructions of the Lord.
2Joyful are those who obey his laws
and search for him with all their hearts.
3They do not compromise with evil,
and they walk only in his paths.
4You have charged us
to keep your commandments carefully.
5Oh, that my actions would consistently
reflect your decrees!
6Then I will not be ashamed
when I compare my life with your commands.
7As I learn your righteous regulations,
I will thank you by living as I should!
8I will obey your decrees.
Please don’t give up on me!
Beth
Translation notes (1)
- 119 This psalm is a Hebrew acrostic poem; there are twenty-two stanzas, one for each successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each of the eight verses within each stanza begins with the Hebrew letter named in its heading.
11I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
When I was a kid, my dad turned our family's home phone number into a song. He sang the song all the time, sometimes to our chagrin. This goofy song was not sung just so that we could repeat our phone number out loud. My dad wisely wanted my siblings and me to call home in case of an emergency. The purpose of memorizing our phone number was not for memory's sake. It was for us to do something with what we had memorized: call home. In the same way, when we memorize Scripture, we do not memorize for memory's sake. We memorize Scripture so that we can be changed by Scripture and do what it says. We memorize Scripture so that obeying Scripture becomes a lifestyle.
The author of Psalm 119 understood the importance of memorizing Scripture. As he reflected on Scripture, the word of God, he wrote, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (verse 11). Clearly, the author of this Psalm knew God's Word, and he knew it well. He knew it so well that it was "hidden" in his heart. What was the result of hiding God's Word in his heart? Obedience. Knowing God's Word in such a way that he was rooted in Scripture naturally led to him living his life in accordance with Scripture.
This idea of hiding Scripture in our hearts is at the center of Scripture memory. Memorizing Scripture is not solely for our brains to be able to recall more information. Scripture is to penetrate deeply to our hearts. After all, it is the heart that transforms us. When we memorize Scripture, it changes our hearts. It leads us to obedience. May we all say, along with the Psalmist, "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against God."
Moving toward action
Pick a verse from the Going Deeper section below to memorize. As you memorize, think about it often. Let it change and move your heart. Determine to obey that Scripture that you have memorized and be moved by it.
Going deeper
Read Psalm 119:1-8(NLT)
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