How to hide Gods Word in my heart

Can we trust that God holds the keys to help us hide His Word in our hearts?

The Lord has given us this beautiful command, we can trust Him to see us through.

“Thy Word is a lamp onto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105

For years I have heard sister’s in Christ say, “I just can’t seem to remember what I’ve read.”

“I have a difficult time sitting still.”

“How do I even find the time to read?” “Where do I even start?”

“It is so discouraging because I can’t even remember what I just read” “What does it need to look like, should I really wake up way before my family? Is that the best way to read the bible?”

On and on go the questions. Questions I’ve also asked myself.

I have wrestled with so much shame over the unknown. Over my own perceived shortcomings.

Sister, right off the bat I want to lean in and whisper, “God knows your form.”

He has made you. He knows you. He sees you. Just abide.

So often in our quest to grow closer to God we wonder what the correct way to do this is.

The truth is, there is not just one way.

There truly isn’t.

Seeking the heart of God:

There have been seasons in my life where I was running full speed ahead, devouring as much of Gods Word as I possible could.

There have also been seasons in my life when all I read was a single verse for the day.

There were yet other seasons where I would be sitting in the closet weeping before God with my bible open. Trying to read the words, but tears would not stop.

Sister, which of these times do you think Father was most pleased with?

The truth is, I would have told you the very first.

I would have said He wants my all or nothing. He wants me running full speed towards Him, I would have told you.

And yet, I can remember a time when my body was very sick with hypoglycemia, you can read more about this here , battling depression, severe anxiety, caring for my two small children, while my husband was gone all week several hours away.

When I heard, not audibly, but in my spirit, a knowing, as I laid on the couch,

Father said, “when you were running full speed ahead to pursue my heart, I loved you, and today, as you lay here, wondering if you can even care for your yourself and your children, I love you”.

Father God.

The Lords love began to undo my perfectionism. The Lords love invited me into His Presence. Just as I was.

Whether I was skipping like a child joyfully into His Presence or tear stained, beaten down by the world, His arms were open wide.

The Problem’s we encounter to hide Gods Word

Our own belief system.

Here is what I mean by that. Sometimes we believe that because we cannot recall what we have read even 5 minutes prior that somehow this means we haven’t hid Gods Word in our hearts.

Sister this is a false belief.

The truth is, Jesus said, as we came to believe in Him, as His Spirit made a home in us, we would flow with Rivers of living water.

In John 7:37,

We see a beautiful scene, Jesus stands on the last day of the feast of Tabernacles, and cries out, “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scriptures have said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Sister, you and I have been given a great gift! God Himself, Holy Spirit coming to dwell in us! Not near us, not outside of us, but within us!

I want you to hear this loud and clear, Holy Spirit will cause you to recall Gods Word!

As believers we have a well of LIVING WATER living within us! Please don’t miss this!

He is a person, The Person of Holy Spirit is guiding, instructing, leading us.

As we submit our lives to God we can be sure His Spirit will not lead us astray.

Sister, the enemy doesn’t want you to read your bible, Gods Word. He doesn’t want you to take in of your daily nourishment.

I want to illustrate this point, I believe Havilah Cunnington first shared it with me years ago through a podcast and it changed everything for me.

Unless you journal all of your food, more than likely you will not be able to recall what you ate for lunch two weeks ago, on a Thursday.

Go ahead and try.

However, I can guarantee you this food you ate filled your tummy. It gave you nourishment. This meal provided what you needed in that hour.

The more you nourish your body the stronger your body gets.

The more you learn to listen to what your body needs, the more your body will take of what you have given and will disperse to the parts of you that need it the most.

Sister, whether you can recall Gods Word immediately after you read it or not is not an indicator of whether you have stored His Word within you.

What this belief is, is a false one. One that will actually keep you from picking up His Word as often.

It might even feel like a hopeless cause.

Encouragement:

Anytime we find ourselves feeling hopeless about a matter we can be sure this isn’t God at work, but the enemy.

The Lord knows how prone we are to filling our schedules.

To walking past our bibles.

Especially if we feel shame or like we are failing as believers because we cant seem to retain His Word.

I have been here so many times in my life.

I want to remove the pressure and invite you into a more gentle approach .

I want to remind you again, The Lord knows our form. He knows!

Here is where I want to encourage you, don’t stop reading your bible! Keep reading! Leave it open. Leave it where you will see it.

Lean in close, whether 5 minutes or 3 hours. Keep reading! You will as He sees fit be able to recall!

For His plans and purposes over your life and the lives of the people you will minister to.

How do I know this?

Because God says HIS WORD is ALIVE! It is active!

We don’t rely on ourselves but on The Holy Spirit of God.

The more you read His Word, the stronger your spirit grows and the more your flesh and soul will submit to Gods Word.

The more you will desire to read. The more it will be easier to sit for longer periods of times to read.

Even reading whole books at a time.

Without the pressure of performance and “if I don’t do this I am bad…” these thought patterns keep us in shame.

I have never read the whole Bible, I maybe never will. I don’t know.

But I have whole passages of scripture memorized, and when I pray for others Holy Spirit floods my mind with the scriptures I have already received into my being.

LIKE A STOREHOUSE!!!!

Keep filling the temple with His Word!

Yes, it is a priority. But if you have a hard time, KNOW He knows you, He formed you, He will guide and direct you, sit with you. And help you!

Because He loves us! Ultimately it is all a gift of His Spirit. It is all a gift that non should boast.

A good place to start reading your bible:

There are books that are easier to read and I believe truly convey the heart of the Gospel. You guessed it, start in the Gospels.

I tend to choose a book and stay in it for a long time. This is how I have been able to memorize whole books. I just read them, over and over and over again.

Years ago in my early 20’s our bible study teacher would print out whole books of the bible and have us annotate them.

I truly enjoyed this way of reading Gods Word, taking each sentence apart and seeing the value in each word and how it connects to the one before it and after.

In our day and age it is so easy to take scripture out of context, this doesn’t mean Father can’t still bless with His Word, of course He can.

I just find that to get a more accurate picture of what the writer was speaking about we should seek to read the verses before and after the passage we are reading.

This is especially true with bible apps that have the beloved, “verse of the day”.

Several weeks back I found that I was not digging into His Word as much as I would if I had my paper copy.

The reason being, it is so easy to get distracted while on our phones.

The truth many of us don’t want to admit is that these devices can be and are addicting. In an effort to help me not spend as much time on my phone, to the horror of my teens, I deleted the bible app.

I am pleased to report that after weeks of no “verse of the day” I am digging in my paper bible more fully.

Please hear me, there is no shame for you in Christ sister. If the bible apps are blessing you, praise be to God! They blessed me for a long time too.

It is important we are leaning in and asking Father to guide us an lead us. He will show you, like He showed me.

His love for us is infinite and He above all desires for us to draw near, take confidence in this.

More great books to start in:

The Psalms, John, Philippians, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, 1 & 2 Samuel, I have loved reading about the Kings, how they started and how they ended.

Increasing your ability to hide Gods Word:

HEARING, listening to The Word is so helpful! Reciting it back, over and over again.

Esther Mui has beautiful songs she sings. They are entire scriptures in song. Its lovely and this has been one of the primary ways I have helped my children hide His Word in their hearts.

Music moves us sister, whether it be for good or evil. Fill your mind with that which is good and in turn that will be what plays in our minds, what spills from our lips.

WRITE Gods Word down as you are reading it, this will help retain His Word too!

Sister, in closing,

the whole purpose of hiding Gods Word in our hearts is truly to draw near to God and to see HIM in His Word!!! To KNOW Him more so that we can make Him KNOWN.

This is our calling. Whether we are stay at home Mama’s or Mama’s in business meetings. The calling is the same.

Make Him known.

Thank you so much for being here. For reading this weeks blog post. I am praying it will be a blessing to you.

Much love and blessings in Christ Jesus.

If you have tips that have helped you to hide Gods Word in your heart, please consider sharing these with us in the comments!

As always know that I read all of your comments, they bless my heart tremendously and I am so thankful for each and every single one of you.

Please feel free to share with your people. Let’s help break off these chains of shame the enemy so desperately wants us to walk in. He knows shame keeps us from running to Father, no more sister!