I was talking with a friend and in the conversation, she referred to the pastor’s recent sermon. Silently panicking, I drew a blank, trying hard to remember the message I just heard that week. Luckily, she dropped a few clues that jogged my memory.

Later, I was reminded of the story Jesus told describing how Satan comes to steal away God’s Word. Matthew 13:19a “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.” 

While I feel I understood the message, my brain had difficulty retaining it. (You may not have this problem, but if you do, you may want to keep reading.) 

I have decided that I need to return to that old habit of notetaking. Yes, I am including one more item in my bag as I go to church, a small notepad. And, if I forget the notepad, I can always type notes on my phone.  

This way, I can work on hiding God’s Word in my heart (Psalm 119:11). I feel I am literally grabbing that truth by writing it down. By reviewing it the following weeks and mulling it over and meditating on it, I am actively hiding God’s Word in my heart so that Satan cannot steal God’s precious truth and teachings from me. 

For football fans, you may imagine yourself as the receiver grabbing the perfect pass, tucking in that ball, and keeping it safe, close to your heart, not allowing the opposing team to steal it from your tight grip.

Either way, my new offensive strategy is grab it and hide it.