Psalm 119:11 – “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Have you ever struggled with a sin you want to overcome, but seem powerless to do so? Paul experienced the same struggle, as he explains in Romans 7:19 – “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Even as a mature believer who was preaching to others, Paul, like many of us, found it difficult to overcome a habitual sin.
The Psalmist however found a way out of this dilemma. He stored God’s Word in his heart, so he could overcome the temptation to sin. The words in the Bible are inspired by the Holy Spirit. They have the power to change our lives and help us overcome our sinful habits. But we need to be proactive in ingesting more of the Word and applying it in our daily lives.
The first thing we need to do is identify our sin. We must not consider it just a weakness, but call it what it is – a sin that hinders us from growing in Christ. We then repent and receive God’s forgiveness, but we mustn’t stop there. Go a step further and look up verses where the sin or it’s related attributes are mentioned in the Bible. A Bible concordance or even Google can help you with that. Memorize as many of these verses as you can and call them to mind the next time you have the temptation to give in to your sinful desires. You will soon find God placing His desires in your heart, and you will want to please Him rather than yourself.
