Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
~ Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart
The Psalmist had prayed to be kept from wandering from God’s commandments. In verse 11, his prayer of faith is put into action, for he had hidden God’s Word in his heart to keep from wandering from the commandments. Psalm 119 is full of this dual perspective. On the one hand, the Psalmist cries out to God to be kept in His Word, kept in His way, and kept from sin. On the other hand, the Psalmist strives with holy violence and grace-driven effort[ref]Carson, D. A. 1999. For the love of God: volume 2 : a daily companion for discovering the treasures of God’s Word. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books.[/ref] to cling to God’s Word. This balance is often misunderstood, but it is crucial in the fight for holiness and the sanctification of God’s children.
To hide here has the thought of treasuring up. The Psalmist had hidden the Word of God as a miser hides his gold. This language reveals how highly he esteemed God’s Word. It is a treasure worthy of laying up and guarding.
“Word” is the sayings or speech of God. This word occurs 19 times in this Psalm. It puts us in thought of counting every word of God as true, precious, and abiding. Every word is life-giving and leading.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
– Matthew 4:4Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
– Proverbs 30:5
That I might not sin against thee
He values the Word and hides it in his heart, not to elevate his esteem among men, but to keep from offending God. The Word is the sword of truth we have been given. It is a mighty weapon in the warfare against sin. The heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and the host of evil imaginations (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21). We must fill up that room with the Word of God that no quarter is given for evil thoughts and a ready store of truth is available to fight against lies.