Moments in the Meadow (last but not least---Part 3) There's Dirt behind the Refrigerator
Create in me a clean heart, O God:
and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10
Wasn't lunch wonderful??? And the dessert....to DIE for?!?!?!?!
It was so good, I took a little nap afterward. (wink! wink!)
There's been a whole lot of scouring in this heart of mine. How bout yours? We started this little chore a few weeks ago and, wow!, did it turn out to be a monster or what? I'm so glad we've stuck to it. We're on the home stretch now. We've been renewed with the food from the precious Word of God. We've rested on His promises of forgiveness, mercy and Holy forgetfulness. I'm ready for the space to be fully clean. How 'bout you?
As we get ready to dive in and finish this grimy task, let's take a minute and ponder our progress. Hallelujah, we've recognized there is dirt. So many dust bunnies, lint balls and who knows what had seeped in to those hidden corners of our hearts. We realized we had to move out of our lives and hearts those piles of dirt which hindered us from having a clean heart. Sooooo, we relocated the refrigerator. Took lunch, strengthened ourselves, and now...... we're ready to .....
#3) REMOVE THE DIRT:
Psalm 51:12
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.
Noone, and I mean absolutely not one other person, knows how hard this scrubbing process has been. The Bible tells us in Proverbs to keep our hearts with ALL diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Why do you think evil fights so hard in this area? If evil can dirty us with depression, hurt, anger, bitterness, gossip, backbiting, addiction, etc. He can hinder our "refrigerator" from working at optimal capacity.
Go ahead dear Christian, take the scouring pad and water of God's Love Letter to you and scrub it clean. Disinfect the entire area by removing the dirt and throwing it out with the mop water.
Is food your dirt? Throw it out of the pantry. How about your favorite ungodly website? Block it. Do you gossip, backbite, murmur or complain? Enlist the help of a Godly accountability partner, read study books about defeating this dirt. Are you depressed? It is not a shame to enlist the help of a Godly Christian counselor. I love the Psalms when a wave of depression, oppression or sadness begins to sweep over me. David sure battled with sadness, hurt, and anger. When you feel the urge to complain or murmur, put yourself in the person's shoes you're fussing about. How would you feel if someone was saying those things about you?
Do something nice for someone you don't particularly like. The Bible commands us to love our enemies. We all seem to remember that, however, we forget that it also says right there along with our enemies, we're supposed to pray for those who despitefully use us. I so remember a few years back putting that command to practice. I remember in my hurt and desperation to keep my heart right, praying very literally, "Lord, you said to pray for them. I honestly don't know what to pray for them so I'm just praying." What peace and contentment flooded my being as GOD'S comfort and peace settled over me.
Bake cookies. Even if you just get the premade kind that you pop in the oven. Half the world's hate and anger could be solved over a batch of warm chocolate chip cookies and a cold glass of milk. A friend of mine was struggling through the death of her marriage and was just about to be swept away by the current of hurt and depression. She counseled with her Pastor and he suggested she look in the congregation, pick out an elderly person, single person, or someone going through a hard time and bake them cookies. With each batch of sweet, warm chocolate chip cookies her sadness gradually began to fade. I remember when my children were really young, and I was really fighting anger toward my husband because his job took him out of town for weeks at a time. I prayed and asked the Lord what to do and He instructed us to make cookies for an elderly widower in the church. I had a bag of butterscotch chips (for whatever reason). On the back of the back was a recipe for oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips. They were awesome. We baked those cookies for him, included a note of encouragement, and wrote some Bible verses about God's protection, comfort and love. Oh my! Even writing this now, I still see the tears in his eyes, his sad face light up and the joy of knowing someone cared about him in his sadness.
Oh my word!! Look at that shiny floor! Nobody but you really knows how hard it has been to get the floor to this shiny level. Doesn't it feel great?!?!?! Is your step a little lighter? I can see the smile of a clean heart and right spirit all over your face.
Take a bit and thank God for the complete cleaning only He can bring to your heart. Take another bit and look around you. Thank Him for your home, your refrigerator, the food in it and in your pantry. Praise Him for your health that allowed you to work and bring in the income to buy the food. Thank Him for your Church, your Pastor, your deacons and the people who faithfully serve on staff each day. As the song says, "count your blessings--name them one by one---count your many blessings, see what GOD hath done".
Can you pray this sincerely to The Father?...
Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
and see if there be any wicked way in me,
and
lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
Have a great day my friend. Rest for a bit on the accomplishment of your hard work. Just remember, regular sweeping and vacuuming behind your refrigerator will keep the dust bunnies and lint balls at bay. You are loved. You are precious. He died for you.
Joyfully,
Dianne