HEARTSCAN

Psalm 139:23--140:6
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 1 Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, 2 who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. 3 They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah 4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. 5 Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Selah 6 O Lord, I say to You, "You are my God." Hear, O Lord, my cry for mercy.


They're lurking in your computer. Tiny programs that sneak into your hard drive--hidden inside many free downloads from the Web. Known as adware and spyware, they act as electronic espionage agents, reporting on your Web-browsing habits to people who want to spam you with ads for their products or to sell your personal information to other companies. In some cases, spyware can record keystrokes during online transactions and steal credit card numbers or other private data.

One respected technology writer says no Internet user is immune. The way to get rid of these cyber-moles is to run a program that will scan your computer, identify the unwanted files, and ask if you want to eliminate them. One click will do the job but it requires choice and action. Fortunately, many good anti-spyware programs are free and readily available online.

This new technological threat reminds me of an age-old spiritual danger. Each of us possesses a vulnerable spiritual storage area of mind, emotion, and will. The Bible calls it our "heart"--the center of our being. Every day we take in sounds, sights, ideas, and feelings, some of which must be identified and eliminated before they cause spiritual harm. The psalmist recognized his need for a heartscan when he prayed: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

When we offer that prayer, we invite the Holy Spirit to move through our mind and heart, like an anti-spyware program, to show us things that are wrong. When He highlights a sinful thought, attitude, or action, we can confess it to the Lord and receive His forgiveness. As adware and attitudes are recurring, so is our need for the process that identifies and removes them.

Perhaps right now is the time for a heartscan. And as the on-screen message often says: "Please be patient--this may take a few minutes." --Dave McCasland

DESTINATION POINTS

* When was my last heartscan? What did I allow God to identify and eliminate?
* How can I make this a part of my time with the Lord each day?

LINKS:
How Can I Be Filled With The Holy Spirit?

bottom line: Our "heart-drive" needs a spiritual scan.

soul journey