Where Is It Written?

Hebrews 8:9-10 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. (10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: (KJV) 

In the Old Testament the commandments were written on tablets of stone which reflected the stony hearts of the people and how quickly they could be broken, which in fact took place before Moses returned from receiving them. Today we still have many stiff necked and hardhearted people that continue to try to serve our Lord according to the old law and not the new covenant our Lord brought forth to His people. There are those today that put a lot of credence into Bible memorization, thinking the more scriptures they can memorize the more effective they will be. You may have a head full of knowledge but if it doesn’t get into the heart, quite frankly you’re dead. In fact the more one can stay out of their head and the old carnal thinking the better off they will be. Like with a blood transfusion, if it never reaches the heart then it is of no value and will lead to death. As the heart is such a vital organ to our physical man, it is a vital part of our spiritual being also; and just as the heart pumps the blood to the body, it gives life to the believer as well. A half hearted effort will leave one falling short in this realm whether in a marriage, job or anything else we engage in. The same holds true in the spiritual realm, if one is not giving our Lord a whole hearted effort then they too will come up short and not reach their intended goal.  

2 Corinthians 3:2-6 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: (3) Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (4) And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: (5) Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; (6) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. (KJV)  

Has the word of God gotten into your heart? Is it an actual part of your being, pumping life into you daily? Do you understand the Word for yourself so that when you read the Bible you are not just reading accounts of God working through and in other people’s lives, but that you can relate to their situations as well having experienced the same thing in your walk, or are in the process of experiencing it, seeing for yourself how to walk by faith and not by sight? This is a living spiritual Word that is written with the Spirit of God in the heart, and as long as you keep your heart protected from the lies and deceptions of the devil it will not be lost or stolen from you. Many people are familiar with the letter of the law and can quote scriptures based on head knowledge, but it is only those that have truly allowed this Word to be written personally in their own heart that will experience the love, the joy, and the peace of God that goes beyond our understanding.  

Luke 4:5-8 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (6) And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. (7) If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. (8) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (KJV)  

The same question the devil asked Jesus of Nazareth is the same one he will ask and has asked all of us; ‘where is it written?’ Now the devil is not asking for chapter and verse of where it is written but rather checking to see if it is written in the heart, something that is actually alive and real, a part of your own being. As we see here in the above example, as well as other parts of the New Testament, our Lord Himself taught the people as one that had authority, one that knew what He was talking about, and was not like the other teachers and preachers. The Lord knew from the heart who He served, as well as the truth and what His calling was, and what it would take to fulfill it as well. Anything less than a whole hearted belief and commitment, taking a stand for the truth, and you will end up falling for a lie. When the devil tries to paint you a pretty picture of all the things in the world you are missing out on, and what could be yours if you are willing to seek the glory of this world rather than your heavenly reward, you will end up duped like many others unless you have allowed the word of God to be written in your heart.  

Acts 19:13-16 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. (14) And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. (15) And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? (16) And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (KJV)  

This is a classic example of what happens when the word of God is not real and alive to someone, but rather a second hand account of something someone else did in their walk. These exorcists were trying to imitate Paul, having seen God work through him. So when they tried to stand on their own knowledge they ended up taking a beating. These evil spirits were quite familiar with the Lord Jesus and Paul himself because they found out first hand that the Word was written in their hearts with the Spirit of the living God, and it was the evil spirits that ended up fleeing from them instead of the other way around. So how well armed are you today? When the enemy comes a knocking will you send him fleeing or will you be the one on the run?  

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (9) Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (KJV)  

Ever see the old classic movie the Wizard of Oz where the girl is walking down the path and is confronted by the lion? The lion made a lot of noise and threats, but when resisted with the truth turned out to be nothing more than a lying coward. For those that know the truth of God from the heart, they are able to see this same thing for themselves; and rather than be sidetracked with lies and deceptions they continue on the path of life by resisting the devil with the truth. Whom resist steadfast in the faith; our ability to hear the message delivered by Christ, and allow God’s word to be written in our own hearts. Faith is by hearing and hearing the word of God; which means doubt and fear can only come by hearing as well, giving ear to the lie more than the truth.  

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (KJV)  

There was a commercial that asked the people ‘what’s in your wallet?’ When the devil comes around to ask you what is in your heart, will you have an answer that will send him fleeing, or will you be fleeing from the truth and chasing a cheap lie and imitation of his? So what is truly written in your heart? Because where your treasure is will determine where your heart is, and which direction it is going.  

God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord.