💛Guest Post by Mrs. Aimee Gheen Bartis

Hidden Words

I’m going to be open and vulnerable with y’all today. Alright? Alright! Here goes…life here at Casa de Bartis is not super rosy right now. Duh, Aimee. 2020 is a dumpster fire, most of us are not feeling super rosy right now. I gotcha but I had a particularly low moment last Friday morning. I sent the following texts to my best friend:

I’m crying. I don’t know what we’ll do. I’m working so hard to trust God and believe He will provide. It’s been so hard this week.

I’m trying to believe that. There are things I know – God will provide, He’s working out all things for our good and His glory – but it’s just hard to believe those things in the middle of this storm.

I felt far from God. I felt a gap between what I know in my head and what I was feeling in my heart. Honestly, I’m not back to feeling some of them yet. But here’s what saved me: I know God. I know how He feels about me. I know that He is good. I know He’s a provider. I know that when He feels far, He hasn’t moved. Wanna know how I know these things?

I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11

Because I have studied God’s Word and memorized it (memorized-ish I know the words but not always the location. Real Talk – I just Googled the location of that verse).

When my older sons were young, they played Upward Basketball at the church we attended. I loved so many things about Upward. My favorite thing was the CD they gave each kid. The kids were expected to memorize verses each week. So Upward set these verses to music to help them memorize. I played these CDs in my car on a loop. I can still sing the song that goes with Psalm 119:11. (side note, if you have one of these CDs please share it with me! I can’t find ours) If you don’t have an Upward CD from 2005-ish, you can also check out Shane & Shane’s Psalms albums.

Here are some of my favorite verses to call on and the ones I’d start with if you want to hide God’s Word in your heart.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7