Your Daily Devotional for August 31, 2006

 

August 31, 2006

 

Taking Inventory

by Dr. Paul Chappell

  

“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”

 

Lamentations 3:40-41

 

 Have you ever been looking for something but didn’t know where to find it? Maybe you lost your keys, or maybe you couldn’t find a certain item at a store. Wouldn’t it be much more helpful if you had someone with you who knew where that certain item was? They could point you in the right direction and you could be on your way!

 

Just as you may not be able to find something if you do not know where it is, it is hard to confess a sin in your life if you do not know that it is there. That is why we must come before Him and ask Him to reveal any sin that we might have in our life. Psalm 26:2 says, “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”

 

We also need to let God show us what needs we have. We need to allow Him to show us areas of our lives in which we need to grow. None of us are perfect and we can all grow more like Christ; however, we can sometimes become complacent and think we are doing fine. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word of God can show us our true motives and the real desires of our heart whether they be good or evil.

 

Sometimes it helps to just sit down alone with God and let Him take inventory of your life. Be totally honest and open with Him and let Him try your heart. Write down which areas you believe you are struggling with and how you can help correct them. Once God shows you what areas you need to fix, don’t just be content with knowing the problem! Is it enough if a man goes to the doctor and finds out he has cancer and does nothing about it? No! He needs to take steps to treat his disease and to help him live. Just as we would try to fix a physical problem, we need to seek to fix our spiritual problems.

 

The story was told of a well-known evangelist who had a man approach him at a particular church after he had spoken on confessing sin. The man told the evangelist that he didn’t know what to really confess at the invitation. The evangelist said, “Just guess.” Later the man saw the evangelist and said, “I did what you said and I guessed right the very first time!”

 

Friend, God knows your heart and He wants to reveal it to you! As Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” We cannot see the true condition of our heart! We are fooled by our outward appearance, but God knows our inner being. Take time to sit down with God today and let Him take inventory of your heart. Let Him show you what needs to be done to draw closer to Him. Then, act upon it! Take steps to renew your daily walk with Him.

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