To Know By Heart

         If you say something often enough, you will soon have it memorized. When I joined the Navy, I was issued a service number. If I was ever to be captured by the enemy, I was allowed to give them my name, rank and serial number. I soon had the seven digit number memorized and said it often enough to my leaders. After a short time, I had the number memorized but would still find that I needed to give that number when going to a new command or in any situation in which I had to identify myself. I have been out of the military since 1967 but still remember my serial number. I could say that I knew it by heart. When you know something by heart, chances are, you won't forget it. The term has been used by God for many years and we find it mentioned in the Book of Psalms. Psalm 119:9-11 says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

         The word “heart” is used over 800 times in the Bible and over 100 times in the Book of Psalms. This particular word is used actually 125 times and is the most times used in this particular book. God often used the word and it very rarely was used to describe the physical muscle that pumps blood throughout your body. The Psalmist used it here to picture how he had actually memorize something by learning it by heart. We have come to use the word in the same fashion when we make the statement, “Oh, I know that by heart.” We are not speaking of our physical heart, but our deem thoughts or our mind or our inner most being. It is what makes us who we are. The principle however is important in that if we repeat something often enough, we soon learn it “by heart.” That is the idea of scripture memory. This particular verse reminds us that it is important for us to have God's Word in our “heart.” To hide something in our hearts is to have it memorized. The act of memorizing something seems to have been the easiest when our minds were young and many of the items from our early years are still packed away in our inner most being's memory bank. It is still possible though, to memorize something new, but it just takes a little longer to accomplish. Our long term memory is often far better than our short term memory and that seems always to be the case. I find that as I get older, the short term memory seems to get shorter and shorter. When I was introduced to a new person while working at my last job, I found it necessary to say the person's name at least ten times and then I would remember it for a week. After that time, it was up for grabs if I would remember it again unless I saw the individual before time and called them by name. If I can say a new verse of Scripture ten times in a row, chances are, I will remember it tomorrow. I will then need to say the same passage for the next thirty days and not miss a day or I will have to start the process over. Is it worth the effort? Just ask the Psalmist in the above passage. Do you really want your way cleansed? Then, you need to “Hide God's Word in your heart. Praise God today that He has given us a mind with which we can memorize His Word.