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Last night Lisa, Sophia, Jocelyn & I went to the mall. We had dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Where else would we go? Sophia seems to be of the mind that this is the ONLY place one would ever eat when at the mall 🙂 Afterwards, we did some shopping. Sophia was talkative while walking & truly had us in stitches laughing. She is a genuinely funny little girl & to see things through the eyes of a 4 1/2 year old – well, can there really be anything more precious?

At one point, I stated to Lisa, “She is such a good little girl.”

Lisa replied, “Yes, she is – 99% of the time. But it is that 1% that can be so difficult to deal with & gets her in trouble.”

One percent.

So small a percent & yet makes a huge impact.

The very thought of that 1% had me awake very early this morning & thinking – – – –

Am I so different from Sophia?

It is that 1% inside of me that gets me in trouble. You know the percent that I am talking about. That one little part of me that still struggles with God. The one percent that I hold back. And that is the part that is difficult to deal with. The part that gets me in trouble.

The Psalmist knew about his 1%. He prayed:

“Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong”” then guide me on the road to eternal life.” (Psalm 139:23 MSG).

In essence, he asked God to find that 1%, to rid him of it. Only God can do the necessary work in our hearts & uproot that which we try to hide or hold back.

“Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” (Psalm 119:34 NIV).

Again, the psalmist asked God to give him understanding so that he would be able to follow God with ALL his heart.

Only once receiving divine illumination in what it (Scripture) means and how it applies can he keep them. He can only obey what he understands. So he prays, Give me understanding. If God would illumine him, then he could better follow and keep the divine law. This obedience must come from the heart, involving his entire being.

Holman Old Testament Commentary, Volume 12, page 243-244

Today may I give Him all – even the 1%.