THE CURSE OF EMPTINESS.
Jesus tells a parable, recounted in both Matthew 12 and Luke 11, after he is challenged by the Pharisees to show a sign to prove his authority. A tormented person is delivered of an unclean spirit, but later the spirit comes back, with friends in tow! They find the person empty, swept, in order and ready to possess again.
Why was the spirit able to come back with a vengeance to the same person? Did the deliverance not work properly? The person’s (spiritual) house was in order, it was clean and swept. But even the most ordered and clean thing if left EMPTY is ready to be filled by anything. Asking God for a renewed heart is not a small thing. He gets to work very quickly because your hearts condition means everything to him (Prov 4:23, Mark 7:18-23). The season and process of uprooting can be a painful and uncomfortable one. See it is a definite that God CAN and WILL uproot anything not of him in your heart. Since we know that WILL happen, we need to work now to prepare ourselves for WHEN it happens.
As we are on this journey of desiring a heart of flesh from the LORD we must be vigilant to ensure our hearts are not empty at any point. The uprooting of uncleanliness in our hearts leaves fertile soil that must be occupied. Each day we should ensure our hearts are occupied by the only things that can truly fill us with righteousness.
Word Of God; The word of God is the easiest and quickest way to occupy your heart with edifying seeds. It is our guidebook for life and tells us who we were created to be and our purposes. It helps us to grow in faith (Rom 10:17) and renew our minds daily (Rom 12:2). Like the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119 v 11 we must hide the word of God in our hearts, that we may not sin against him.
Prayer and Fellowship with the Holy Spirit; In the book of John Jesus tells the disciples about the Holy Spirit – another helper, that will abide with us forever. He dwells within us and guides us. The Holy Spirit is a friend and comforter for us to call on, to ask God through His spirit to transform our hearts and fill it with things pleasing to him. And the joy we have is Rom 8:26, in that when we don’t know what to pray this same spirit intercedes for us with groanings.
So all that is left is for us to remain vigilant and keeps a watchful eye on our hearts. That they may remain full and satisfied with the word of God and His Holy Spirit. Take the time today to surrender your heart to God and give Him full control. Ask Him to begin to fill your heart with more of His Holy Spirit and the things of Him, that you may be purifyed from the inside out. We pray that through the Holy Spirit you will stay with God on this journey of Him renewing your heart.