Things in our homes get out of order when we fail to keep them organized. We had a junk drawer in our kitchen when I was growing up. Miscellaneous things were haphazardly thrown in there. They had no other place. When I moved in with my parents to take care of them 24/7, they still had a junk drawer.

Sometimes we have junk drawers in our heart. We throw emotional feelings in there because we don’t know what to do with them. It is called stuffing. This is so true with children who are traumatized. They do not have the understanding of what has happened to them, nor the maturity to process it.

Years ago I read a book called “Organizing Genius.” It was about solving enigma type problems collectively. The input of each was crucial for the success needed. I am taking that analogy into our daily reading. As we systematically read the whole counsel of God, aspects of truth reveal where our heart-beliefs collide. God’s word is collective truth. It is His whole counsel. We cannot take one part and ignore other parts. Each verse, precept, principle, or command is an essential part of the whole.

The Lord gave Solomon extraordinary wisdom. His book of Proverbs is a great book to read. He understood enigma’s. He wrote Proverbs 1:1-6 to help us understand his intent. Verse 6 says, “To understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.” The emotional pain that we stuffed continually seeps into our thought process. We may ‘think’ we have banished it from our life, but that is a lie.

Here is one great indicator of how close the hidden is to the surface. Present events trigger past history events. When our flesh reacts to something said, acted out, or an event, the hidden emotional pain from our past is exposed. That is the Holy Spirit reminding us right then that we have unresolved issues. It is prudent for us to stop and ask Him: why did I react? The Holy Spirit is so patient with us. He leads us into the truth we need to be set free from what has kept us bound.

As we read, we need to be present with what we are reading. We incline our ear, we stay alert, attentive, and ready to receive course correction. The Lord is All Present. He is never wandering in His thoughts. His thoughts are far higher than ours. His capacity is boundless. He is ready to reveal the lies that have entrapped us. His truth is designed to free hearts that are bound. May our hearts be attentive to the Holy Spirit when He highlights a verse in our reading. It is time to get rid of the junk drawer.