The apostle John recorded a scene that gives us insight into the hidden places of our hearts. The religious leaders had brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus. But Jesus called on them to examine themselves.
As I search my own heart, I certainly am not qualified to cast a stone at anyone. I know that I buried hurts as a child. The Holy Spirit has faithfully brought them up over the years. He never reveals something, though, until he knows that my heart has been prepared.
Our trials in life are God’s strategic instruments to expose the hidden rubbish that keeps us from becoming more like Jesus. Trials show the genuineness of our faith, and purify it as fire refines and purifies gold. (I Peter 1:6-7)
Meditating on and memorizing God’s word pushes those hidden lies up from the dark recesses of our hearts to the surface. His truth is like a jackhammer that breaks into the hardness of our hearts. Hebrews 3:13 says, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Our faith requires high maintenance. We must diligently guard our minds from accepting the devil’s fiery dart lies. Truth becomes our inner sentinel when we hide God’s word in our hearts.
Father God, I thank you for sending Jesus to pay for my sins, past, present, and future. Thank you for forgiving me for the years that I hid sins through unforgiveness towards those who hurt me deeply. Your love has freed me and given me a new life because my past has passed. Hallelujah!
Throughout this day: Spend some time in quiet reflection and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal anything that is hindering your growth in faith and obedience. Thank him for what he reveals, confess where you’ve been wrong, and appropriate his power to move forward.