MENU
LINKS
[Based on Psalm
139:23-24]
I used to just be concerned about me
or someone I
love picking up a virus. Now I have to be concerned
about my computer picking up a virus! And more
and more of them are infecting various computer
systems. Now, if one of those viruses contaminates
your computer, it can cause you to lose valuable
data. It can even cause your computer to crash. But,
thankfully, I have this special software feature that's
called a virus scan. When I turn on my computer,
basically the virus scan checks to see if any of those
destructive little bugs have gotten in, and it warns
me if they have. And that's a good thing. You
want to get it before it infects everything.
You know your soul can pick up viruses, too? And
if you don't catch them right away, they can spread
throughout your system and infect everything. That's
why you need to install God's virus scan. David talks
about it in our word for today from the Word of God
from Psalm 139:23-24. He says, "Search me, O God,
and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts:
and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead
me in the way everlasting." David knew the subtle,
infectious way that sin can creep into the human heart.
And he knew all too well the damage it can do. So
He prays that God will see if some spiritual virus has
found a place in his heart and to reveal it to him as
my virus scan reveals to me what is threatening my
computer.
This has to be a prayer that we pray at least once a
day. A spiritual system that may have been virus-free
yesterday may have picked up something damaging
in the meantime. Each new day - every time you turn
your mental computer on - you need to ask God
to reveal any trash that has invaded your system.
Preachers call it the "conviction of the Holy Spirit" -
God, who lives inside you, revealing what's out-of-line
in you and moving you to do something about it.
As you open yourself up to the Holy Spirit's searching
of your heart, you may see a bad attitude that is
starting to take root, a little resentment, a little
jealousy, a little complaining, a little negativity. It's
little now. It won't stay that way. That's why you need
to recognize it and repent of it right away while it's
still small and not doing a lot of damage. For example,
God warns us to "see to it that ... no bitter root
grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (Hebrews 12:15).
In other words, catch the bad attitude while it's
still small before it deepens into something very expensive.
God's scanning of the viruses in you may expose
some "trash talking" you've been doing - words that
have hurt people. Critical words, backstabbing words,
angry words, gossiping words. Or God may show
you that some lustful fantasies have been allowed
to infect your heart and mind. You may have watched
something you never should have watched, listened
to something you never should have listened to,
lingered on something you should have turned away
from, flirted with something you should have fled from.
Or it could be that you've told some lies lately or at
least spoken less than - or more than - the truth. God
wants to confront those now so you won't get into a
pattern of deceit. In fact, that's the reason we need
to see and attack any sin right away. Because sin
unconfessed becomes sin repeated and repeated
until it starts poisoning so much we care about.
So invite God often to scan for viruses you may have
allowed into your heart. Computer viruses not dealt
with can make a computer crash. Spiritual viruses not
dealt with can make you crash.
Copyright (c) 2003, Ron Hutchcraft. Permission to distribute
this material via email, or individual copies,
is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial
purposes, and will not be
sold. To subscribe to "A Word With You," by Ron Hutchcraft visit:
http://www.hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you
Midi: Looking Thru the Eyes of Faith
