HOARDING

Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You. PSALM 119:11

Here it is again. You’ve been faced with this same dilemma over and over.

When you read “this same dilemma”, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s habitual sin in your life. Perhaps it’s financial difficulty. It could be sickness. Is someone you’re connected to really getting on your nerves?Trials and tribulations are just a part of life, they’ll always be around to some degree.

Or, maybe things are going great in your life! You finally got that promotion at work. You have plans to marry soon. Your best friend is having a baby.

Whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, we’re constantly faced with a choice. In the midst of temptation and strife, joy and prosperity, we are given another dilemma: how do I react?

Today’s scripture helps us to find the answer.

“Your word I have hidden in my heart…”

In this verse, the word hidden comes from the Hebrew word tsaphan.

This word doesn’t just mean that we memorize a few key scriptures to use when we face adversity or praises to offer when times are good.

The word tsaphan means ‘to hoard’. Imagine that you’re the ruler of a kingdom, and you’ve amassed the greatest treasure trove to ever exist. You have huge rooms filled with mountains of gold, precious gems, crowns, suits of armor, and every priceless artifact imaginable.

One year, your kingdom experiences famine. In order to buy food to alleviate the suffering of those around you, you dig into the treasure you’ve amassed to feed your kingdom. The next year, you have a period of remarkable wealth and your treasure grows, hidden away once again.

This is how we ought to view the Word of God. The Bible is a treasure. The Bible is worth storing up. It’s worth hoarding.

When times are good we can grow our storehouse of knowledge, and when times are tough we can pull on that storehouse to bring light into situations where darkness prevails. If we hoard the Word of God in our hearts like it’s a great treasure, no matter what comes our way we will always have plenty of reserves to draw from. The second part of this verse says “that I might not sin against You.”

If we encounter a situation that we’re ill prepared for, we may stray from what God says is right and holy; thus grieving the Holy Spirit.

Don’t let that be the case, instead hoard the Word of God as the great treasure that it is, and use it to supply you in times of plenty and in times of need.