FEBRUARY 25, Proverbs 4:23 

“Dad, can you help me with something on the computer?” asked Janet. She explained what she wanted done. “I heard you telling Uncle Bob that computers can do that,” she added.

Dad smiled. “Yes, but our computer hasn’t been programmed for that,” he said. “I can fix it for you.” Then he sat down at the keyboard and began to type. “I’ll write a program to tell the computer what you want. It responds only to what it has been told.” Soon Dad stood up. “Try it now,” he suggested, and he showed her which keys to use.

The new program worked fine, and the computer did just what Janet wanted. “Wow, Dad!” she said. “That’s amazing!”

“Not really,” her father replied. “It’s a basic law of computer science that you can only get out what you’ve put in.”

“I think I know what you mean,” said Janet. “At school we say ‘garbage in, garbage out.’ If we put good information into the computer, we get good information out.”

“Just like life,” commented Dad. “Like life?” asked Janet. “What do you mean?”

“Your mind is sort of like a computer that God has given you,” replied Dad. “It’s a fabulous database that stores everything you put into it, and it responds to the instructions you give it. In a way, you’re programming, or writing, your own future right now by what you put into your mind and life.”

“So if I store up good things in my mind, it will result in good actions on my part, right?” asked Janet. “But if I store up a lot of junk, that’s what determines how I act.

” Dad nodded. “To a large extent, what you put into your mind determines what comes out in your life,” he said, “so it’s important that what you put in is pleasing to God. You do still have a will to make choices, however. You need a good database to make those choices from, and you need to depend on the Holy Spirit to help you in making them.”

Thought: Put only good things into your heart and mind!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me remember to only put wholesome ideas and thoughts into my mind. I am tempted often to think of naughty or selfish things, but help me to overcome that. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.