09/03/2026
Pastor's Corner:
Hiding God's Word in Your Heart
Dr. Johnny Nixon
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11
There is a whole sermon tucked inside that little verse. The psalmist tells us what he did, where he put it, and why he did it. He hid God's Word in his heart so that he might not sin against God.
Now, he did not merely keep a Bible on the coffee table where everybody could admire it. He did not carry one under his arm on Sunday and then leave it in the wagon until the following week. He took God's Word and hid it down deep in his heart. He wanted to know what God said because he wanted to live the way God wanted him to live.
That raises a good question: Do we truly desire to please God?
If we do, then we ought to stop for a moment and ask ourselves a few plain questions. How well do I know the Bible? How much Scripture have I committed to memory? How often do I think about what God has said? When I make a decision, do I weigh it against the teachings of Scripture, or do I simply do whatever seems right at the time?
If you want to please God, the best place to begin is with an open Bible. If you have questions about God, the answers are found in His Word. If you want to recognize God's hand in your life, you must learn to think His thoughts. If you want your actions to honor Him, then your decisions must be guided by the truths of Scripture.
First, we must know God's Word. That means we must read it, study it, understand it, and memorize it. Nobody ever learned the road to town by leaving the map folded in the glove
compartment. In the same way, we will never learn God's way by leaving our Bible closed on the shelf.
Second, we must make the Bible part of our daily thinking. It is not enough merely to read a chapter and check it off our list. We must stop and consider what it means. We must ask, "What is God teaching me? Is there something I need to change? Is there a command I should obey? Is there a promise I ought to believe?"
The more Scripture we place in our hearts, the more Scripture will shape our thoughts. The more it shapes our thoughts, the more it will guide our choices. Before long, God's Word becomes like an old, trusted voice calling us back whenever we begin wandering down the wrong road. A Bible hidden in the heart will strengthen weak faith, comfort a troubled spirit, correct a wandering mind, and help us make wise decisions. When temptation comes knocking, God's Word will already be home to answer the door.
So read your Bible. Study it carefully. Memorize it faithfully. Think upon it often. Hide it where neither time nor trouble can take it away.
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."