Each of us comes to the Lord damaged. So He begins a renovation programme to repair our thoughts about Him, about others, and about ourselves. While you may look good on the outside, there’s a constant hammering and sawing going on inside, as the Holy Spirit works to meet a deadline and make us an ‘instrument for noble purposes’ (2 Timothy 2:21 NIV 1984 Edition). And one of the tools He uses is ‘the foolishness of preaching’ (1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV). Whatever you do, never lose your appetite for Bible preaching: ‘Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Romans 10:17 KJV). It boggles the unregenerate mind to watch the preached word transform the most dysfunctional people into productive members of society. And most of the time God does all this while maintaining a veil of secrecy that protects our reputation and public perception. How gracious! Can you imagine how shocked people would be if they really knew the shape we were in when God found us? Only His power could have forced open the snare that had entrapped our minds and set us free to live again. David declared, ‘He spoke the word that healed you, that pulled you back from the brink of death. So thank God for his marvellous love’ (Psalm 107:20-21 MSG). Notice what did it – His Word! That’s what provides cleansing for our shame, makes us righteous, and gives us a roadmap to our destiny. Because of Him, you matter. Because of Him, you have nothing to fear. If anybody has a right to shout for joy today – it’s you!