“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). Probably the majority of us could quote this verse from memory. For those of us who claim to adhere to “Old-Time Religion,” the Bible is our authority. It speaks for us as well as to us concerning matters of faith and practice. But I wonder how many of us have “lost our first love” for the Bible. We read it out of duty rather than desire; study it out of expectation instead of excitement; and memorize it by chance, not choice. This familiar verse gives us three great matters which are set before us concerning our Bible.

First, I see a treasure – “Thy word…”

What a treasure we have in the Word of God! It is a treasure because of its source, it is from God. It is not filled with the reasoning of men, but with the wisdom of God. It is a treasure because of its stability. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). The Bible is a book whose truths can be relied upon, for they never change. It never needs updating nor revising, just re-reading. It is a treasure because of its sufficiency. It is the all-sufficient answer to the needs of the child of God. It is bread for the hungry, milk for the weak, water for the thirsty, and honey for the bitter things which life may bring. It alone has the ability to edify the saint, evangelize the sinner, and to exalt the Savior. God’s Word can never be outdated or become obsolete. What a treasure for the child of God!

But I also see a treasurer – “…have I…”

A treasurer is one who is entrusted with the proper handling of the treasure. You and I, as believers in Christ, have been entrusted with the proper handling and care of God’s Word. This is a position of responsibility. A treasure is something which is of great value, and thus, the handling of it is a weighty matter, so it is generally committed to a person of reliability. Let’s examine our own lives and consider how reliable we have been concerning the position of responsibility entrusted to us.

Finally, in this verse, I see a treasury – “…in mine heart…”

The heart is the treasury where we are to place the treasure entrusted to us. Truly, the writer of Proverbs was correct when he urged, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). My heart is a treasure house. I am the only one entrusted to make deposits into this treasury. The things I have placed there reveal my attitude toward them. Things of value I carefully store away for a time of need; things I don’t value, I ignore. It is not enough to have God’s Word in our hands, in our homes, or even in our heads—we must have it in our hearts! If we get this book and its truths in our hearts, they will clean our steps, clear our sight, chasten our sinfulness, comfort our sorrows, and challenge our service.

What have I been laying up in my treasury? I can store up the eternal treasure of God’s Word by memorization and meditation if I choose to do so. Let’s be busy storing up eternal treasures, and we will discover that like Jeremiah, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).

Share this post

Craig Burcham, GSBC Faculty

Bro. Burcham served as the Chairman of the Bible Department at Golden State Baptist College before answering the call to pastor the Mountain Vista Baptist Church in Sierra Vista, AZ. Pastor Burcham travels each week to teach the next generation at GSBC. Before coming to GSBC, he served as a missionary with his family in Japan for several years and then pastored in Missouri.