The X-Ray

Bible Reading: 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17; HEBREWS 4:12-13L IN ITS TIME.

Bellamy hopped up into the dentist’s chair, leaned his head back, and opened his mouth wide so the dental assistant could clean, polish, and floss his teeth. When she was finished, Dr. Scott came and checked to see if there were any cavities. “I found one small cavity,” he said after examining Bellamy’s mouth. “Now I’m going to take an X-ray of your teeth in case there are any problems I can’t see with my eyes alone.”

The X-ray showed that Bellamy had one more cavity. His mother made an appointment to have them filled, and they headed home.

That evening, Bellamy told his dad about his visit to the dentist. “Dr. Scott gave me a new toothbrush,” said Bellamy. “He says if I brush really well twice a day, I shouldn’t have any cavities the next time I have my teeth cleaned.” Bellamy frowned. “I don’t see why I had to have that X-ray though. Now I need two fillings instead of just one!”

“That’s true,” said Mom, “but the second cavity would have shown up quite soon anyway. By then it would have gotten much bigger, and you’d need a big filling instead of just a little one. It might have even caused your tooth to hurt. So it’s a good thing Dr. Scott found it now.”

Dad nodded. “X-rays are a big help. They show what’s deep inside us where we can’t see. The Bible does that too.”

“It does?” Bellamy asked in surprise.

“In a way, it does,” Dad said. “God uses it to examine our hearts and show us our need for Jesus. One of the things it does is show us where there’s sin in our lives—and also how to correct the problem.”

“When we recognize our sin, we can go to Jesus and ask Him to forgive us and then trust Him to help us do what’s right instead,” Mom said.

Bellamy thought it over. “I guess it is a good thing Dr. Scott took that X-ray today,” he said. “If he didn’t find my second cavity, the problem could have gotten worse.” He grinned at his parents. “And I’m glad God gave us the Bible so we know how to fix our problem with sin.” JAN L. HANSEN

How About You?

Do you read the Bible to see what it has to say to you? Like an X-ray, it reveals things inside us that we can’t see—things like bad attitudes, mean thoughts, and selfish desires. It shows us sin in our hearts, but it also tells us about Jesus, who died to save us from sin. When you see sin in your life, confess it to Jesus and ask for His forgiveness. Then obey Him.

Today’s Key Verse:
HEBREWS 4:12 FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE…IT JUDGES THE THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES OF THE HEART. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

God’s word shows what’s in our hearts