Laura Bennet – Author

When I was in high school, Saturday Night Live often entertained us with crazy skits. It’s a show I haven’t watched for decades due to the change in content that seems less creative and more crude, but in those days we laughed our heads off at the ridiculous antics of the Coneheads, satiric sketches, and of course, the claymation characters of Mr. Slugo and Mr. Bill.

For you youngsters who may read my blog, a pair of real life hands would gesture according to a narrative in which Mr. Hands or Mr. Slugo would torment Mr. Bill and his dog with everyday situations, like showering or karate class that would destroy a clay figure. Mr. Bill would frantically cry out, “Ooohhh, nooo!” Believe me, it was only funny because it wasn’t real.

A number of years ago, a family member (Mom) sent me the little guy in the above picture as a joke. I wrote a post about it that you can read if you’d like.

But that’s not what this post is about.

Over the past year, Brendan and I have taken turns hiding Mr. Bill in various locations to get a laugh with each other. Here are some of Mr. Bill’s adventures:

We like to pretend the Mr. Bill got himself into these incredible predicaments, and keep a running joke of what Mr. Bill might be thinking. Lately, Mr. Bill has a thing for high places and spinning.

It’s a silly game, but it gives us a laugh. We’re a little crazy like that.

Here’s the thing…

While hiding a silly rubber man to play a game with my husband may be ridiculous, hiding something more important is not.

God says to hide his word in our hearts. And that is no joke!

Why should we hide God’s word in our heart?

• So we won’t sin against God. (Psalm 119:11)
• So we can learn and grow to be like Jesus, mature and ready for everything. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)
• So we can give an apt word to someone who has a need for wisdom or encouragement, or wants to know about our source of hope. (Proverbs 15:23 & I Peter 3:15)
• To allow the Holy Spirit to remind us of Jesus’ words and God’s great love for us. (John 14:26)
• So we can wield it as a weapon against Satan. (Ephesians 6:17)
• So if we are ever in a situation where we do not have a Bible, we will know what it says and be encouraged.

Hiding Mr. Bill may not make a lot of sense, but hiding God’s word in our heart is wise and advisable. Memorizing it is great, but even if we can’t remember the exact words or verse, the more we read, the more we understand the true character of God. And the more we can apply it and rely on what it says.

What’s a verse you have hidden in your heart? Mr. Bill wants to know.