Your Word

I was approximately seven years old when I lost my upper, right, front tooth. A normal happening. My permanent tooth had begun growing in. My Mom was working in her classroom after school, so I went to the playground to wait. I decided to hang upside down from the monkey bars. I noticed there were some boys practicing soccer, so I grabbed one of the bars with my hands while my knees were still around another bar. As I watched the boys practicing, I began swinging back and forth. Swing. Swing. Swing. Whap! Since I was watching the boys, I was not watching the bars. I had swung my face right into a bar.

The incident broke off the part of the tooth that had grown in. I had a root canal and a crown. In my early thirties, I had the crown replaced. The dentist did some other procedure at that time too. A part of my tooth remained under the crown. This past April, the tooth was hurting and had shifted down, hitting my lower teeth. I visited the dentist. She said my tooth, or whatever was left, was infected. There was nothing more she could do to save the tooth. I needed oral surgery to extract it, get an implant and get a crown four to six months later. Last week I had the extraction and implant done. The infection had started to deteriorate the bone, so the surgeon did a bone graft too.

Maybe you are thinking this is too much information or why do you need to know about my tooth woes. For some reason, the tooth experience made me think of Psalm 119:11, but in an opposite way. With my tooth, the original damage was there, hidden inside a crown. It took many years, but the original damage produced greater damage. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” As we store God’s Word up in our hearts, it will have initial benefits as well long-lasting ones, but let’s take a closer look at the section (strophe) surrounding verse 11 – Psalm 119:9-16.

Even reading just this section, you get a feel for the Psalmist’s view of God’s Word. He loves God. He loves God’s Word – with my whole heart I seek You (vs 10), I have stored up Your Word in my heart (vs 11), and I delight in Your statutes (vs 14, 16).

The psalmist loves God’s Word so much that he pleads with God not to let him wander from God’s commands (vs 10), he asks God to teach him (vs 12), he stores it in his heart, he meditates on God’s precepts (vs 15), he fixes his eyes on God’s ways (vs 15), and he commits not to forget God’s Word (vs 16). The Psalmist is resolved to obey God’s Word.

Like the instant I chipped my tooth years ago, reading God’s Word sets off a chain reaction for a believer. Hebrews 4:12 informs us, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God’s Word changes us. As we study Scripture, we can grow in our love for God and His Word and as we learn more about Him. I know I don’t always feel the delight to study God’s Word that the Psalmist expresses, but God can change that too. He loved us and sent Jesus to die for our sins while we were still weak, ungodly, sinners and God’s enemies (Romans 5:6-10). He has already done an amazing work in us in redeeming us and making us His children. We can look at His past power and faithfulness in saving us and have hope for our continued sanctification which He promises to complete (Philippians 1:6). Growing in our delight of His Word is part of sanctification.

God’s Word changes us as it convicts us of our sin, but also shines forth the glorious news of the Gospel. Our hearts still may wage war with us in rejecting temptation and choosing obedience, but God in Christ has made us slaves to righteousness not sin. We will grow in our love for God, our love for His Word and our desire to obey His commands because we see that they are good.

The past few months what began with a chipped tooth has manifested itself into something much more. With my tooth, it’s a bad thing, but with God’s Word, it is a very good thing. The Psalmist asked and answered a question in verse 9, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word.” He further declares in verse 11, “I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” The result of delighting in and storing up God’s Word is a pure way, choosing obedience over sin.

Another way to understand stored up is to treasure. Think of something you really want. What do you do? First, you probably think about it a lot. Your mind keeps coming back to it again and again. Then you dwell on how you might use it or how it would change your life. You devise ways to get what you want. You talk about it with others.

In my devotion “Never Surprised,” I shared about the Easy Bake Oven I got for my sixth birthday. I didn’t know I was getting it, but it was what I wanted more than anything. Not only did I think about it, but I told others that I was getting it, and I told my friends they could get me the accessories for my birthday. My life revolved around getting that Easy Bake Oven.

To store up, hide or treasure God’s Word in our hearts means we study it. We don’t just do a quick look in the mirror, reading and walking away (James 1:24). No, we really study God’s Word like looking for “God Is” truths, our identity in Christ, commands, promises, etc. We consider it as "all riches" (vs 14). We continue to think about it. We memorize it. We talk about it with others (vs 13). We put into practice what we learn. We ask God to teach us and keep us from wandering. God has graciously given us His Holy Spirit, so that these things are possible.

Unlike my tooth, studying and treasuring God’s Word leads to good fruit in our lives. It will glorify God and conform us more to the image of Christ. One of God’s great blessings to us is His Word. Pray that God would give you a heart that delights in and treasures it.

Reflections

1. How do you think of God’s Word? Is studying it more of a chore or a delight? Begin with asking God to teach you and help you to delight in studying it?

2. How do you study God’s Word? Although spending time studying God’s Word is good, you do not have to spend hours studying to be able to meditate on and treasure it. What is one thing you can do this week to treasure God’s Word? (Journal, talk about it with others, purpose to go over it again over your lunch, memorize one of the verses you read, something else.)

3. Spend time thanking God for the gift of His Word and the Holy Spirit who gives you understanding of it. Write out ways you have been specifically blessed by God’s Word.