The Hidden Killer

Preparing for a new remodeling project, I opened a closet door that revealed a killer. Let me back up a few millennium to the words of the prophet Daniel (2:22); 

"He (the God of heaven) reveals deep and hidden things (even in the closet); He knows what lies in darkness (under the house), and light dwells with Him."

As i opened that door, I wondered if previously there were a fire and smoke damage, NOPE... black mold. It doesn't take much time checking your phone what prolonged exposure can do to the human body. There are various methods of remediating black mold. Sure, you can spray it in some cases... but on this bad boy, it has go to. We will suit up in HASMAT, spray it down with some ZEP, make gentle cuts, remove the sheet rock and any affected areas, bag and seal it, and cast it as far as the east is from the west (landfill) Then, and only then can we begin rebuilding the house. 

It's the same way in our lives isn't it...?  The 'Hidden Killers' are lurking in the darkest reaches of our hearts. Prolonged exposure seems to find its way out of the closets of our lives. Eventually, these killers spread their toxic dust particles and reveal themselves in the forms of anger, hatred, unforgiveness, pride, self-destruction, abuse... the list could go on, but you get the idea.

No amount of scrubbing, self-help books, psyche meds, career or wardrobe changes, human effort, or the care of others can cure the exposure to our own self-destruction. "Oh great... why not just drive off a cliff or walk into a blizzard...?"  So what's a person to do with the ugliness hidden in our hearts?

Almost hidden in the ugliness of that '6-panel door' is a cross. I've seen this model door for a long time and have never noticed the cross until today. You see, in the background, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin, convinces us of the grace of God in Jesus Christ and conspires with the providence of the Father to convert our hearts to Him. 

Whatever you do, don't wait until you think you are ready to call for a certificate of occupancy (heaven) to open that door. Today, turn to the Lord, He alone can handle your not so... Hidden Killers. He will take you, cleanse you with His blood, wash away the toxins that seek to destroy you. He will then begin building a life...

In Christ!

Forgetfulness

    I was speaking with my best friend the other day and shared with him the stark reality of aging: MEMORY! He told me about a dietary supplement, the name of which I would never remember. Being the good friend he is, he took a picture of it and sent it to me. 

Possibly you or your parents have said things such as:

• "What was I supposed to get at the market?"
• "What did i come in here to get...?"
• "What's that person's name?"

Yes, I constantly make shopping lists, alarms and reminders on my phone. We all can do that. But are we remembering what the Lord has promised us?

As I was reading from Deuteronomy 7-8. Within these words are 2 very critical commands that apply to our daily walk with God:

• "Remember..."
• "...do not forget..."

"Remember how the Lord..." and "...do not forget the Lord your God..." (Deut. 8:2,11)  Moses was at the end of his life, camped up with the other Israelites who, (all but Moses), were about to cross over into the promise land. It's here that Moses reflects back and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit writes down the blessings associated with remembering the Lord, along with the punitive measures regarding forgetting the Lord. 

    Certainly there are things in our lives that we just assume forget. I do recall the words of the Apostle Paul, concerning our failures...

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."

The next time you forget something, take a second to remember the Lord and give thanks. Don't allow forgetfulness to rob you of the joy we have... In Christ!