Taking Inventory

By Rev. Gary Moore

It’s that time of year again.

There are the after Christmas sales in every store. Trying to sell all they can. Trying to lower inventory because also this time of year begins another tradition – Taking Inventory.

Makes me glad I am not in retail. Store after store, business after business will begin the process of checking every nook and cranny (what is a cranny anyway?) so they will know what they have stock of. Even in today’s modern age this is still an arduous and time-consuming task. But it is something that must be done for a business to know where they stand and how to prepare for the coming year.

The Psalmist wrote a verse, which talks about taking an inventory of our life in verses 23 and 24 of the 139^th chapter. It says “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

The New Living Translation puts it this way, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Ouch! I thought doing a store inventory was difficult.

When is the last time you took inventory, or better yet when you asked God to take inventory of your life. As people we don’t like it when people come over to our house and look through some of our less than tidy rooms. Yet each of us has rooms, little cubbyholes in our hearts and thoughts in our minds that we don’t want to share with anyone. We don’t want anyone to know about.

And here David cries out to God to not only look into his heart and mind, but to actually point out anything that offends him (God). Yet this is what we, as God’s children need to do – ask God to take an inventory of our life.

The Bible states that David was a man after God’s own heart. I think this is one of the reasons. David knew there where actions he had taken, he knew there were thoughts that were wrong. But he also knew he really couldn’t hide those things from God.

God knows where you live. He knows how you live. He knows everything about you. So why do we try to hide it.

David said in Psalms 32:5 “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”

As we begin a new year, may I make a recommendation - Take Inventory. Ask God to search your heart, to know your inner most thoughts. Ask him to even point out things that upset or insult him. And he will answer your request. Not as a mean or malicious God, but as a loving and compassionate father. And then confess those things to him and ask for his forgiveness and he will forgive you.

So prepare for the challenges of this New Year by Taking Inventory today.