AI-narrated recordings
The publishers barred ministries from recording the devotionals and posting them on YouTube, which left us without audio.
Other ministries chose to narrate devotionals generated by AI. We built a process in which AI only reads each devotional's real text, without changing anything. It may still make a few mistakes, and these recordings are not posted on YouTube.
Producing them every day is costly. Thank you for your support and patience.
Reading options
Verse:Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. —Psalm 139:23, 24, NIV
My routine for successfully navigating airport security is to ensure I do not have any prohibited items in my carry-on luggage.
One day, while preparing for a flight, I made sure to empty my water bottle and remove my smartwatch from my wrist because the security alarm had sounded the last time I went through security while wearing it. This time I was confident that I would pass the security check without any hiccups. As I went through, I placed my shoulder bag and backpack into the scanning machine, and the security personnel asked me to open my shoulder bag because the scanner indicated a pair of scissors in it. Alarmed, I wondered how I had been so careless. Then I recalled I had put the scissors in my bag while preparing for a recent children’s program. I quickly dug into my shoulder bag and removed them. They told me another pair of scissors was in my backpack. How embarrassing! I consider myself a law-abiding person and would never do anything that is against the rules. I searched the bag and even emptied the contents, but I could not find the second pair of scissors. I asked for a rescan of my bag so I could see where the scissors were. The staff obligingly put my backpack through the scanner and told me they were in the side pocket. I dug deeply to find the offending item and removed it.
It is amazing how these machines can identify the items in one’s bag without opening it. They can even indicate whether the object is organic, such as food, or nonorganic. Before these machines were invented, bags had to be opened and their contents physically examined. Just as we cannot see into our closed bag without one of these machines, our sinful nature and desires often may not be transparent to us. Many times we are in denial and feign ignorance, but like the scanner, God sees all. He knows all and does not let these offenses go without bringing them to our attention. Our text for today reminds us to give God the full authority to search our hearts. When we do, He will pinpoint our wrongs that may be hidden from us. With His help we can address them and remove them from our hearts.
Lord, You know my innermost thoughts and hidden sins. Show me what I need to remove from my life, and empower me to live a life that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.*
Debbie Saul-Chan
* Used with permission. Adapted from a personal Facebook post, January 21, 2024.