If, as a teen, I knew what I know now, I would have made a greater priority of hiding God's Word in my heart. I would have read and re-read my Bible, culling the Scripture verses that would be undoubtedly necessary to weather life's storms.
But I was busy making excuses, believing life would offer more time for such things...later. Boy, was I misinformed.
If there was ever a time to have the truth of Scripture and the promises of God at the ready, it would be now...as a wife, as a mother, as an adult, navigating the demands, the pressures, and the heartbreaks of real life. And, the verses I hold dear and have firmly memorized? Are the ones I committed to memory at a young age. With dozens and dozens of verses half-memorized or paraphrased with addresses unknown, my Bible is oftentimes replaced with the search bar in my browser or with my Bible reading app. While online resources and technology offer invaluable help in having God's Word right at our fingertips, it's also, frankly, made me lazy. For all the verses I know many words to, I have relatively very few committed to memory without the help of keyword search or reference help.
And this is not an issue of pride, or being a good Christian. This is an issue of survival skills and resourcefulness. It's an issue of keeping your greatest treasure the closest.
There is a Latin saying by Cicero:
Omnia mea mecum porto.
(All that is mine, I carry with me.)
-Cicero
And while this Latin proverb referenced Cicero's own wisdom as his greatest wealth, as followers of Christ, our treasure and our wisdom is the living Word, himself. He is all we have.
When technology, concordances, devotionals, and other resources are unavailable, what do we have of the God's word securely carried with us wherever we go, in whatever circumstance. There is indeed SO much vying for my attention as a wife and mother, and time is so limited. But, as we run this race, we realize the only way to run it well is to run it unfettered...and running light.
Let worthless things go. Drop the unnecessary guilt and baggage. Toss aside earthly things that distract and discourage.
But carry the treasure of God's word with you. Commit it to memory and hide it in your heart. It's the only thing your soul truly needs...and it may be the only thing you truly have in the end.
Friend, are you-- like me-- armed more often with your cell phone than any other thing? I'm asking the Lord to renew my heart for the joyous and intentional work of hiding His word in my heart. Won't you join me?
