LifeLink Devotional

Monday, February 17, 2020

My memory is changing.  I feel like an obsolete computer that’s in need of a major upgrade. My hard drive has become fragmented, and access to the filing system is substantially slower than it used to be. When I finally do locate the file, it is often corrupted and unreadable.

Yet some parts of this change are very good. I have discovered that the first files to become corrupted are the ones containing all the bad memories of life. I had a specific password-protected folder named “Hurts and Hard Feelings” and I’m having a terrible time remembering the password. It used to be the first folder to be opened every day. Now it’s hard to get into it at all.

One day, as my wife was going through a bunch of old paperwork in our office, she showed me a letter I had written to a church that had deeply hurt me in the past. As I read the letter, I tried to access the H&HF folder and couldn’t. Instead, I saw the glory of God’s work to refine me and mature me into the Pastor I am today.

Several years ago I ran a diagnostic check on my filing system. I discovered that the corrupted files were not being repaired or deleted. I checked my Virus Protection Software and discovered a setting I never knew was there before. There’s an option in the Program that allows It to automatically repair and/or delete corrupted files.

When I first set the computer up with the new Operating System I remember hearing about this feature, but never turned it on. I was afraid that it would delete things in those files that I might need to access later. I really believed the information might be able to be used to my advantage in the future. Little did I know that the viruses in those files would slowly infect all the other files in my system as well.

So I turned on the Automatically Repair or Delete feature in my Virus Protection Software. My H&HF folder is almost empty. The Virus Protector is working. There are days when I want to put a file in there, but the VP has changed the password and I cannot even save the file. And when I try to save it to a different location, the VP brings up a dialogue box and asks me if I really want to save this corrupted file to my computer. Then, even on the days when I really want to save it and click “Yes”, the Operating System shuts down until I authorize the VP to scan and clean my computer.

I am amazed at how well my computer is running these days since I downloaded and accepted all these manufacturer’s recommended updates. Now when I wake up every morning, my mind is filled with memories of the steadfast love of the Lord rather than the events filed in the H&HF folder. The Virus Protector is constantly scanning my computer for any downloads or inputs that will harm the Operating System.

Isaiah 63:7  I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us…

So you see, loss of memory can be a good thing. However, don’t wait for the memory system to start to deteriorate to experience the benefits of lost files. Let go of the control of your filing system, and turn on the automatic features in your Virus Protection Software. Then you can start experiencing the full benefits of your upgraded Operating System.

Pastor John