I chuckled the other day when a friend told me about opening her husband's "junk closet." As she opened the door, everything you can imagine tumbled out: a fishing rod, old books, Christmas decorations, etc. Everything that caught the eye got stashed there. The result was a mess.

What about our minds? Often, all the random thoughts of the day get stashed there, out of sight...until we try to go to sleep. Then everything comes tumbling out. Computer people have a saying, "garbage in - garbage out." How true. Whatever you allow into your mind will come out in one form or another. Negative thoughts, violent images from television, useless information from the paper or a novel, gossip, etc., will all surface somehow.

But God has given you power over your thoughts. He says: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (II Corinthians 10:4, 5, NKJV).

Use the power God has given you to bring your thoughts into captivity tonight. Censor what you read, watch and think about. Don't fill the "closet" of your mind with junk that will come tumbling out in the night. Keep it clean and in order, leaving you free to pray and sing to the Lord. Then your "closet song" can be His song tonight!

Heavenly Father, You are a God of order, power and love, Who has given me Your Spirit of self-control over all my thoughts. Help me to take into my mind only what You would want there. Strengthen me to discipline what I watch and hear, so all my thoughts will be captive to the obedience of Christ. Thank you that I can be free to rest, to receive Your thoughts, and to sing! In Jesus; Name, Amen.