Scripture and our hearts

As I have shared before, Henri Nouwen is one of my favorite writers.  Here is a devotion from his “Daily Meditations” about meditation:

When Jesus says:  "Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away" (Luke 21:33), he shows us a direct way to eternal life.  The words of Jesus have the power to transform our hearts and minds and lead us into the Kingdom of God.  "The words I have spoken to you," Jesus says, "are spirit and they are life"  (John 6:63).

Through meditation we can let the words of Jesus descend from our minds into our hearts and create there a dwelling place for the Spirit.  Whatever we do and wherever we go, let us stay close to the words of Jesus.  They are words of eternal life.

Those are incredible thoughts about our hearts absorbing what God says.  To believe the truth of Scripture we must allow what runs through our heads to sink deep into our hearts as Nouwen wrote about.

How can we on a daily basis let God’s truth settle into our hearts?  There are many methods people have used to digest the treasurers found in the Bible.  Memorizing Scripture pays off because it comes to memory when we need it.  Reading Scripture gets our mind working in the direction of God.  Praying by using verses of Scripture lets us think about how this truth can be applied to our lives.  Another way to let Scripture sink in is share what you’ve read, or memorized with someone you are talking to.

Psalm 63:6  NLT

I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.

Psalm 119:11  NLT

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

The key to meditating on the word of God, applying the word of God and making the word of God part of our lives is letting our hearts hold tight to what Scripture says.  Our actions and our words flow from what is in our hearts. 

David said that at night when he couldn't sleep Scripture is what he thought about.  Then he said that hiding the Scripture in his heart kept him on the right path.  Scripture changes the way we think and act.  Scripture changes what we think and what we say.

May God help us moderate what goes in to our hearts and what guides us forward, and thank God for the blessings of Scripture to give us joy and to guide our lives!

Proverbs 4:23  NLT

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

2 Timothy 1:14  NLT

Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.