Write it on Your Heart
Have you ever read or heard something, and you can still feel it in heart when you think on it? You may even be considering those words at this moment. How much have those words shaped your life? God’s words have even more transformative power, but it is up to us to write His words on our hearts.
God’s Word
Scripture provides an opportunity to know the Lover of our souls. Through God’s word we can know our identity, truth, hope, peace, and more. And in a world throwing a lot of half-truths and harmful ancedotes our way, it is important to cling to what is truth about who we are and whose we are. The only we can do that is to invest time in writing God’s word on our hearts.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s word is not out-of-date. It does not spoil like milk. It is living and breathing and has as much power today as it did when God originally spoke His words.
Additionally, God’s word is a part of our protection. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our struggles are not of flesh and blood, but of against “…rulers, against authorities…against spiritual forces of evil…” As the passage continues, it tells us that if we are to defeat these elements, we need to wear the Armor of God. We are told to “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). God’s word protects our mind and heart from the spiritual forces of evil that desire so much to see us fall.
Moreover, knowing God’s word will protect from harmful acts such as spiritual bypass and spiritual abuse. When we know God’s word for ourselves, when we have hidden his word on our hearts, when we have meditated on his word so much that it is written on our hearts, we will be able to identify these acts more often knowing how to battle our experience with truth, God’s word.
Writing it on Our Hearts
God will not force himself on us. He desires us to know him, but he does not make us know him. What kind of love would that be if he did? Therefore, if we want an active and whole (and holy) relationship with Christ, we need to spend time with him and know him through his word.
Here are a few ways that we can write God’s word on our hearts that allows us to have a healthy, whole, and consistent relationship with Christ:
1) Take time to spend with God
Most of us have a friend or family member that we talk with everyday or can’t wait to see when we get to work, home, etc. This is what it can be like to have a relationship with Christ. Everyday talking with him allows our hearts to know him more, for the Holy Spirit to speak to us, and for us to be able to identify “forces of evil” because we know what goodness, faithfulness, hopefulness, truthfulness looks like from spending time with Christ.
This does not mean that we have to be embedded in a five hour Bible study or prayer time. It simply means that we talk and listen to him everyday practicing Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that he is God.” Taking time to sit with Jesus allows him to change us and our hearts.
2) Meditate on his word
The term meditating can be misleading. While some meditative practices are certainly not helpful or healthy, here it means as the Psalmist describes “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).
When we meditate on God’s word, we allow it to infiltrate our mind and hearts. Our actions, words, and thoughts become different. Additionally, as David shares, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Meditating on God’s word is pleasing to the Lord. He longs for us to spend time with him.
Meditating may be through prayer, Bible study, memorizing scripture, or other ways that may work for you. However, meditating does not just happen; we have to be purposeful. And this will be pleasing in the Lord’s sight.
3) Bible Study
As I noted previously, studying the Bible does not have to be a laborious event. It does not require us to block off our whole day. However, studying scripture is an impertiave element to the armor of God, meditating on him, and drawing near to him.
Often people are hesitant to study the Bible out of fear of not understanding Scripture or feel it is overwhelming not knowing where to start. This is all reasonable. Yet, to know Christ more, to spend time with him, to understand his character and all he has done for us and calls us to do, we must spend time in his word.
There are many Bible studies available by well-known, spiritually healthy men and women: Max Lucado, Lysa TerKeurst, Lisa Harper, Beth Moore, Craig Groeschel, and many others. However, the Bible app offers Bible studies freely that may focus on a specific topic or verse. We do not have to be overwhelmed or hesitant. We can engage the living word of God without feeling lost.
Final Thoughts
To know the Creator of the universe, the Creator of our souls more, we must spend time with him. As we spend time with him through his word and prayer, we draw near to him. The more we draw near to him, the more we can recognize what is not of God and protect ourselves from the evil forces that still plague this world.
At the bottom of this blog, you will find a method that I use to help guide me in my studies. If you need a place to start or just want to try something different, feel free to download it. Use one or both sheets. Whatever you feel most comfortable doing. Also, feel free to share it with others if you feel it will help them grow in Christ.
Remember, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Together let’s cling to the word of God drawing near to him daily so that our souls may find encouragment daily.
Worksheet Instructions:
God will guide us as we read his word. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart as you study scripture. However, there are couple of elements you can implement to ensure that what you are being shown is of God and spiritually healthy.
First, the term rhema is used in the Greek as a word given to God’s people, you and me, for a specific purpose, time, and message. For instance, if you have read a passage of scripture before and read it now, you may notice it means something different now than it did previously. That is rhema, the Holy Spirit speaking to you in a specific time with a specific message.
Next, God cannot go against his word (Isaiah 55:11 and Hebrews 6:18-20). As we study, we can rest assured that we are hearing from God when it aligns with his character and truths; however, if something arrives in our minds or hearts that contradicts God’s character or his word, then it is not from God.
Lastly, for some of you studying God’s word can be triggering. His word was weaponized against you, and the thought of reading it again puts your stomach knots. It will be hard to do. You can choose your pace with this work. There is no time line. God will honor your process.
