From My Heart To My Mouth

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art

thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the

judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in

all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will

delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” (Psalm 119:11-16)

A. It tells us how to live.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17– “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
B. It has everything we need to know about life and godliness.
- 2 Peter 1:3– “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”

C. But it is frustrating for a lot of us when there is a passage we want to find but you can’t remember where it is at.

A. We should have God’s word always with us.
- Psalm 119:11 – “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

B. Chew on them
- Jeremiah 15:16 - “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”
C. Let it live with you
- Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

D. Not just memorization. God is talking about His word becoming a part of us.

E. When we speak, we speak as God’s word
- 1 Peter 4:11 – – “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

A. Memorization is one method, but let’s face it, not all of us can memorize portions of the Bible.
- Being able to quote passages is good, but what about the person being quoted to – how does he know you are reciting the passage accurately?
- They need to look up the verses for themselves.
  - Acts 17:11 - “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

B. Even when I happen to have a verse memorized, I turn to the passage and have the person I’m studying with turn there as well.
- Then I am less likely to misquote because of a faulty memory.
- Then the person can see for himself that this is really what God said.
- They can also read the context to see that it wasn’t being pulled out of context.

C. Grow
- 2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”
- Never become satisfied that you know enough

D. By reason of use
- Hebrews 5:13-14 – “For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
- Memorizing a passage doesn’t do you much good if you don’t have an immediate use for it.
  - There are excellent mathematicians who can solve the most complex geometric problems. Most of us can’t. We wouldn’t even know where to begin.
  - There are carpenters who solve complex geometric problems daily, without effort, because they use the same methods over and over again.
- Repeated use, locks ideas in our head
- Use also increases interest.

E. How to encourage growth and use:
- When you answer a question in Bible class, don’t answer with “I think.”
- Find the passage first and then state “Over in ... it says ...”
- When someone tells you about a problem in his life, think about what passage would best address his situation and then share it with that person.
- When something really bothers you, think about what passage would best guide you and then go read it again.
- Start a cross-reference in the margin of your Bible. When you run across a verse that particularly fits well with other, jot the reference down in the Bible.
- Keep a list of key verses on the blank pages in your Bible.
- When a speaker mentions a passage, look it up.
- Talk with people about the Bible. There is nothing like a discussion to get your mental gear engaged.

F. Give yourself reminders
- Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
- Write out a favorite passage and put it where you can see it.

G. Think about it
- Think about it day and night –
  - Psalm 1:2 – “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
- A meditation all day –
  - Psalm 119:97 – “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”
- A meditation at night, during boring times –
  - Psalm 63:6– “When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.”

H. Help someone else learn –
- Proverbs 15:7- “The lips of the wise disperse knowledge . . . “

A. Few learn purely for learning sake. Most of us need a reason to learn a goal in mind
B. One way is to figure out why things are as they are.
- You can memorize all the English grammar rules you are able, or you can figure out why those rules exist and the rest comes easy
- Knowledge is easy to him who understands
- Proverbs 14:6 – “ . . . Knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.”

C. Never allow yourself to think you know it all. Understand that you will be wrong at times –
- Proverbs 12:1 - “Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.”
  - A corollary is that you don’t have all the answers.
  - Studying with others helps because they will bring up a point you never thought about before.
  - So go learn. Never think you must have all the answers before you start studying with another.

D. Don’t ignore a subject because you don’t understand it –
- Proverbs 1:22 - “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?”
- It is easy to mock what you don’t know, but it doesn’t make you a better person.

E. Bible study is hard for some because they never make learning the Bible a part of their lives.