Would You Survive?

“I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:11 (NIV)

Arise and shine, dear one! God is with you!

I snuggled under a blanket with my dog by my side and flipped on the TV to decide what to watch for the evening. I chose the show Alone. No camera crews. It is the ultimate test of human will.

Participants are dropped off at remote locations with the task of surviving there as long as possible. They're given camera equipment to document their adventure and only a short list of approved items they can bring. They can tap out when they've reached their limits, and the last one remaining wins the prize money.

As the show progressed, I imagined myself in the wilderness. What would I bring? How long could I survive? (Not long!) Would being alone bother me?

When I thought about what I'd bring, I realized how important it would be to have my Bible. I did some quick research and learned that participants can't bring any books. If I were preparing for such an adventure and couldn't bring my Bible, I'd start working right away on memorizing as much as I could!

We are so blessed to have easy access to Scripture, in a variety of fonts, sizes, and translations. We can open our phones and read the Bible any time! Not everyone in the world has that access. Are we stewarding well the gift of God's Word?

Psalm 119:11 reminds us to hide His Word in our hearts. When we spend time in Scripture, memorizing, meditating, and treasuring it inside us, we create a storehouse of Truth for the Holy Spirit to draw from. This helps keep us from sinning and brings encouragement in the moments when we need it most.

But here's the thing: that storehouse won't fill itself. It won't happen if we aren't reading His Word. And if we're just skimming over verses to check off our Christian to-do list, we aren't soaking in that transformational Truth.

Treasure His Word today, dear one! Don't take it for granted. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Let it transform you. And if you ever decide to go on a season of Alone, you'll already be prepared… because you've been hiding His Word in your heart all along.