September 11, 2024
My daughter sent me a picture last week of my granddaughter's dry erase board in her room. She has a calendar on one side and then a blank space to be able to write on the other side. On the blank space she had written, and I quote, "I can do anything through Christ the Lord." Underneath she wrote "IDK (short for I don't know) the person and the number." In other words, she did not know the scripture reference.
It made my heart happy to see the scripture and then gave me a laugh to see the reference. I have thought about this a lot the last few days. The scripture in Psalms 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." God's Word hidden in our hearts has the power to change our lives from within. To be able to hide God's Word in our hearts, we have to study so we might memorize it to keep it in our hearts.
I have to admit that I am a bit like my granddaughter, and I am not always able to recall the scripture reference. However, over many years of listening to sermons, note taking, Bible studies, and just reading I am able to recall precious scriptures that I have memorized or prayed specifically for someone or some situation. On numerous occasions God will bring to mind at the precise moment I need it a perfect scripture. That to me is why it is so important to hide His Word in your heart.
The verse that was on the dry-erase board in my granddaughter's room was Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength." I have meditated on this verse for the last several days. Honestly, it's a great verse to memorize. I have been so grateful to the Lord for this being the verse my granddaughter memorized. Here are some reasons why.
First of all, this verse gives hope. It gives hope for hard times and also hope while you wait. I know that life is not always easy, but my 11-year-old granddaughter has really not experienced that yet. The best thing she can do is to hide this scripture in her heart to know that when times are tough, God is there. If God is there, she can get through anything. In the hard times of life when it doesn't make sense, we have the hope of Christ to get us through. He is enough and He provides hope to walk us through any storm or trial this life might throw our way.
Another thing this verse offers is confidence to be content, not in yourself but in God. I want all my grandchildren to trust and be confident that with God anything is possible. There are so many situations in life that can beat you down. People struggle with not feeling good enough or not fitting in. There is so much peer pressure on kids today. This verse is a great verse to say at the beginning of every day. If you are struggling with thoughts that say, "I don't think I can do this," just repeat this verse.
The times when we are insecure and unsure we have to trust God. I can't get through tough circumstances by myself, but I am confident I can face anything with Christ who gives me the strength. He IS my security and my confidence. My contentment is in HIM. I'm sure my grandchildren don't know this yet but just because you are a child of God does not mean you will have a trouble-free life. This verse helps us know that even in the toughest of circumstances, God is with us. He is there to be our strength, joy, and peace and in this we can be confident.
I know true contentment comes from Christ living inside of me. That is the secret to being content in any circumstance. I pray all my grandchildren come to know scripture. I pray they hide that scripture in their heart. I pray they learn that true contentment doesn't have anything to do with your circumstances. Hope, confidence, security, and contentment come from God.
Hide His Word in your heart. Memorize the powerful words of our Savior. Scripture is your internal and external lifeline. I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to have to buy myself a dry-erase board. Maybe you should too. If we continually put those verses on our board God will etch them in our minds and write them on our hearts. I can't think of a better place for them to be!
"Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" Jeremiah 17:7-8,
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
