"Obey my laws and live by my decrees. I am your God. Keep my decrees and laws: The person who obeys them lives by them. I am God." (18:5)
In yesterday's reading He spoke about an unclean home, "If the fungus breaks out again in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house has been scraped and plastered, the priest is to come and conduct an examination; if the fungus has spread, it is a malignant fungus. The house is unclean. The house has to be demolished—its stones, wood, and plaster are to be removed to the garbage dump outside the city." (14"43-47)
Our hearts.
As His child, it is where He lives. How often has a fungus been introduced we allow to take over. To cause an uncleanliness in our heart because we didn't tear it away from us?
What we put into our heart is what we become.
Until we die, there will always be a fight against the "fungus". Of serving Him or serving "self". He has promised us there isn't one temptation we will encounter where He hasn't provided a route of escape.
And still - there are times - when we will stay right there and submit to the temptation.
And the fungus will be introduced, again.
Each winter during our down time, I have the goal of reorganizing and purging our home of items we no longer use. Items, papers, just stuff that has been sitting in drawers, shelves, etc., gathering dust and taking up space. Some of these items I discard because they are no longer any use to us, but some I find I have held onto because I was getting my "worth" from them. Some items were only here because of sentimental reasons or as a way of being a part of a relationship or person.
And still - there are times - when we will stay right there and submit to the temptation.
And the fungus will be introduced, again.
Each winter during our down time, I have the goal of reorganizing and purging our home of items we no longer use. Items, papers, just stuff that has been sitting in drawers, shelves, etc., gathering dust and taking up space. Some of these items I discard because they are no longer any use to us, but some I find I have held onto because I was getting my "worth" from them. Some items were only here because of sentimental reasons or as a way of being a part of a relationship or person.
I go into this purging thinking that one day I will be gone and I do not want Curt and the kids to be consumed with sorting through all the "stuff". I want them to be able to focus on Him and each other.
I try to rid our home of the "fungus" that is sitting unseen on a shelf. There have been too many families I have been a part of or seen, torn apart because of the "stuff" a person left and how they left it. I try to remember our Christ lives here and to give Him access to every square inch of our homes.
Homes.
The physical and the spiritual.
I have learned even though you cut off the green mold on cheese, you aren't cutting off the roots that have went deeper than what your eye can see. Temptations we chose to fall victim to are so like that. The roots will grow deep, unseen, throughout your heart, penetrating into your mind, your life, your body language, consuming the all of you.
Unless your heart is covered in His blood. Covered in and through with His forgiveness, grace and mercy.
It is the "penicillin" so to speak, saving us.
Sometimes there are "stones" in our heart which must be removed. They are "stones" we allowed self, or others, to put there. They are "stones" of lies.
I have learned even though you cut off the green mold on cheese, you aren't cutting off the roots that have went deeper than what your eye can see. Temptations we chose to fall victim to are so like that. The roots will grow deep, unseen, throughout your heart, penetrating into your mind, your life, your body language, consuming the all of you.
Unless your heart is covered in His blood. Covered in and through with His forgiveness, grace and mercy.
It is the "penicillin" so to speak, saving us.
Sometimes there are "stones" in our heart which must be removed. They are "stones" we allowed self, or others, to put there. They are "stones" of lies.
But our ABBA doesn't leave our heart with unfinished walls. He fortifies them, rebuilds them up with His Stones of Truth.
It is in the rebuilding process, using His stones, we are able to see our heart becoming more than just a house with Him, but a home. And there is a difference. Our home "in" Him - with Him as The Center, creates living a life of Him as The Center. It is transforming us to reflect Him more and more. To escape from the temptations - the fungus - the mold.
It is in the rebuilding process, using His stones, we are able to see our heart becoming more than just a house with Him, but a home. And there is a difference. Our home "in" Him - with Him as The Center, creates living a life of Him as The Center. It is transforming us to reflect Him more and more. To escape from the temptations - the fungus - the mold.
"Obey my laws and live by my decrees.
I am your God. Keep my decrees and laws: The person who obeys them lives by them. I am God."
Our hearts have to have Christ as The Cornerstone.
Our hearts have to have Christ as The Cornerstone.
Because we really do become what is in our hearts.
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