Hidden in the Heart

by Oct 8, 2021Easy and Light

Hidden in the Heart

I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Psalm 119:16

Some claim that we remember only ten to twenty percent of what we read or hear. Others debate that estimate, saying it isn’t that simple. Numerous variables need to be considered, and recall can be much higher. Ask me to recite even a small portion of what I read and heard this past week, and I’ll stand by the estimate.

Even Jesus’ disciples seemed to have limited memory, often needing Him to repeat the lessons He had taught them. However, after His ascension, Jesus’ disciples might have supported the claims of those who argue for higher percentages of recall. As Jesus prepared to leave the earth, He told His disciples they would remember all the things He told them. The “Helper,” The Holy Spirit, would remind them (John 14:25-26).

As a child, I frustrated my mother by waiting until Saturday night to remember I had several verses to memorize for Sunday school the following morning. Now, Mom and I recite Scripture together daily. The “Helper” Jesus spoke of gives Mom high recall even though she suffers from dementia.

When Mom was a child, she memorized Scripture. As a Sunday school and Bible school teacher, she memorized verses with her students. As an adult, she memorized verses for personal growth. Today she forgets people, places, experiences, words, and basic steps. But ask Mom to recite Scripture, and out it flows.

“I don’t have a book,” Mom says. “How did I know those verses? Where did all that come from?”

“It’s hidden somewhere in your heart, Mom” (Psalm 119:11), I tell her.

Thank you, Lord for your living and lasting Word. Guide me as I meditate on Scripture, and remind me of your truths.

The “Helper” reminds Mom of what is most important even when her mind struggles with most other details. And at just the right times, the most fitting verses come to my mind to encourage or guide me—verses committed to memory with Mom’s help on those Saturday nights years ago.

Investing time now in Bible memorization will reward us later. What we hide in our hearts today will be there for us tomorrow. Even as our minds age, the Holy Spirit will remind us of God’s living Word.

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