Last time we talked a bit about Psalm 119 and how it encourages us to KEEP the Word in our hearts.
Allow me to introduce you to an interesting word found 22 times in Psalm 119 alone. In Hebrew, it is: שָׁמַר (šāmar), (transliterated: shaw-mār‘). It’s often translated into English as “keep,” but it means much more. The word “shawmare” means to “to keep; to guard; to protect; to constrain; to hedge about as with thorns.” It means to employ a defensive strategy to retain something—but also an offensive one.
I don’t know much about football, but I do know that you have to have more than a good defense to win games. A team might have the best defensive line in the league and be able to hold the opposing team to zero points quarter after quarter, game after game. But, you won’t WIN games unless you SCORE points … and that takes a strong offense. It’s more than holding the line—it’s advancing yards, taking back lost territory, pushing back relentlessly against the opposition, putting a hurt on anything that would steal away what was gained.
When Scripture talks about keeping the Word in our hearts, it often uses that word “shawmare”—“to hedge about as with thorns.” It means to not only hold something, but to also prevent others from stealing it. To offend the enemy “as with thorns.”
Jesus Himself warned that once we heard and received His Word, there would come thieves, like birds, to snatch it away. There will always be temptations, persecutions, distractions, tribulations, the cares of the world—all these will spring up to steal, choke, and kill the good seed of the Word that we’ve tried to plant in our hearts.
How then can we KEEP it? By “hedging it about with thorns.” To employ a defense AND an offense. This is more than just cultivating the soil of our soul and exercising the powers of our mind. It also means to diligently resist those things that would kill the Word and steal it from our memory. It means standing firmly against the opposition that suggests every reason not to be faithful in the Word. It’s repeating a passage over and over until its execution is flawless. It is fighting off the temptation to be lax—it’s snatching back lost minutes from the enemy’s grasp.
KEEPING the Word in our hearts must be made a priority over the endless, but less important, cares of life. It takes precious time and hard-fought effort to memorize Scripture—we have to MAKE room … and time for it.
What’s the benefit for all this effort? Memorizing the WORD of God:
- Helps us to avoid sin by providing an internal defense against temptation;
- Guides us in our thoughts and decisions by internalizing spiritual wisdom;
- Provides comfort and strength in difficult times when no one else is near and when the written text is not at hand;
- Enables us to align our actions with God’s commands and to transform our inner life to God’s will;
- Allows us to share His timeless truth with others; and
- Strengthens us to remain steadfast in the face of daily challenges and setbacks.
Psalm 119 alone reminds us again and again to “shawmare” the Word in our heart—to observe to keep it and take heed not to forget it. Here’s a few examples—the word(s) in brackets is “shawmare:”
- “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by [taking heed] thereto according to thy word.” (v.9)
- “Give me understanding, and I shall keep (preserve) thy law; yea, I shall [observe it] with my whole heart.” (v.34)
- “Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would [keep] thy words. (v.57)
- “My soul hath [kept] thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.” (v.167)
Prayer: Dear LORD, You said, “I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and KEEP (shawmare) my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 20:19 KJV) That’s what I want to do! With all my heart, I want to do more than just hear, or read Your WORD—help me to KEEP Your WORD in my heart forever. Whatever it takes. IN Your name and for Your glory … AMEN.
(Part 2 of 2)
