Treasure in the Heart

photo © 2009 Mykl Roventine | more info (via: Wylio)

Today, we are actually moving forward to a new verse! By the way, just because we are skipping some verses in the blog here, doesn’t mean you can’t read the other verses yourself. DUH…

==================SCRIPTURE=====================
Ps 119:11 Thy word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against Thee.

==================PRAYER========================
O God, my to do list is huge, over my head, and all of it is urgent. You are more than a to do list item, You are almighty God, who only is good and who only is righteous and who alone has the power to effect change in my life. I wouldn’t even think of looking upon Your word without Your unction and help; teach us all Your truth! Amen…

==================LESSON========================
Thy word: up to this point, we have seen statutes and commandments, and if you are reading the other parts, we see judgments, precepts, ordinances, etc. Here we have His WORD. This is the Hebrew word “imrah”, which apparently refers to the Torah, which means the first five books of the Old Testament.

Isn’t it interesting that we have all of these weird and irritating liberal scholars debating the authorship and authenticity of these books, but here in the Psalms we have another writer of scripture come along later to declare these earlier books to be the word of God himself? The Bible, according to its own authors, really is the word of Almighty God.
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I have treasured: now THIS is good! It is not enough to say that His word IS a treasure. That is only a starting point. What is important is that each of us individually treasures it. It is for each of us to place a high value on it. It is for each of us to perceive its surpassing value, to get excited ourselves over it.

Here is something really fascinating, something to ponder. The Hebrew word translated “treasure” is the word “tsaphan”, and it means to hide, to treasure, to store up. If you have a big sack of money or gold coins, do you put it on your front porch with a big sign pointing at it? No, you hide it, not because you are ashamed of it, but because you want to bring out bits of it for use at the appropriate time. Even pirates know to hide their treasure. What is the connection to God’s word?

Here is my idea. No one can stand a person who goes around all the time gratuitously spouting Bible verses, but when a person knows how to remember and speak and act on the appropriate word for the situation of the moment, it is a true blessing. A lot of the wisdom we have gained is hidden treasure. The Proverbs are full of verses about keeping silent, saying the appropriate word at the proper time. This is why our knowledge is first and foremost not for spouting off to others, but for ME to keep from sin when the moment is upon me to decide to do right or to do wrong.

Here is another idea. NO army publishes its strategy and weaponry to its enemies, it hides these things. It brings out its weapons and deploys its troops when the battle is on, not before. Ultimately ours is a secret personal battle and it will be tested what our what our defenses really are.

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Assignment: memorize this verse. Write it on a little card and carry it with you, and later today, get a piece of paper and a pencil, and write it out from memory, and see if you got it right.