Devotional: It's In the Heart

Psalm 119

“With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against you” (Psalm 119:10-11, NASB).

There has been countless number of books written on positive thinking. People go to workshops, seminars and conferences seeking to learn ways in which to improve their lives. I am constantly thinking about what I should or should not do in the various situations that I find myself in. Too often I think of doing something wrong. The elevation of oneself above others and the desire for revenge is a very natural human thing. The problem is that I am a sinful being and what comes natural to me is not what God commands me to do. “”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, NASB).

I am not who God intends for me to be. It’s in my heart to do the wrong things. How do I overcome myself so that I can be who God commands me to be and do what God commands me to do? The psalmist writes: “How can a young man keep himself pure? By keeping it according to Your word” (v. 9). Doing the right thing is not a matter of the thoughts in our heads as the world believes. The word must be hidden in our heart. I have learned that the word hidden in my heart is the thing that has kept me from wrong doings that were the logical thing to do in my mind. Let us read the word. Let us meditate on the word. Let us keep the word hidden in our hearts.