Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is: Job 25-27, Matthew 12:24-50
I want to start off by apologizing for being MIA this last weekend from commenting! My husband and I were off in Northern Alberta (in the FREEZING cold) visiting our dear friends for the weekend. I am behind on my reading - and my testimony post! I will get all caught up in the next week!! :)
Matthew 12:43-45
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Wow. These verses just make me say WOW. These verses draw such a clear picture to me regarding how imperative it is to fill our hearts and home with the Holy Spirit. It really couldn't be more black and white to me. I had a conversation with someone once who said how important it was when you cast a spirit out of your home, self etc to ask the Holy Spirit to fill that space.
We moved into a different house this spring and the first thing I did before we moved anything in was go into every room, closet and floor space banishing any spirit that was not from God and inviting the Holy Spirit to enter. For some reason, it became apparent to me that not only did I want to pray God's blessing over our new home, I also wanted to sweep it clean and put it in order - and directly fill it with HIM!! At the time, I did not know these verses even existed - to be completely honest! Maybe that's why they just sat with me today.
I found these interesting thoughts A Demons Journey regarding this passage and thought I'd share a bit:
God is willing to bless us—as He allowed the demon to be cast out of the man—yet those blessings do not insulate us from further problems. The demon came back and tormented the man again. The Jews of Jesus’ day were allowed to see His glory, benefit from His miracles, rejoice in His teaching, and learn from His example. Yet all this did not make them holy—that was a decision they had to make. If “this generation” was unwilling to truly change after all the blessings Jesus brought, it would have been better for Him not to come. “The last state” of rejecting God’s Son would be “worse than the first”.
The call to Christians is to replace formerly wicked behaviors with righteous ones. It will not do to leave the time and energy we once used for sin to sit unused—sin will soon return, and in greater measure. We must “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts”(Eph 4:22). But take note! We must also “put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness”(Eph 4:24). Paul explains this in some detail: where we once lied, we must stop and instead speak truth (v. 25). Stealing must end, and work take its place (v. 28). Corrupt language is replaced by words that build up and impart grace (v. 29). It has been said, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”, and this principle is confirmed by Scripture. Fill up your life with the works of Jesus, or don’t be surprised when sin returns in spades.
Sadly, Jesus was right. Many of “this wicked generation” basked in the glory of the Son of God, only to turn away unchanged. They rejected Him and returned to their evil ways. Yet for a precious few, the blessings of God were seized and appreciated. Permanent change took place, and they now rest in righteousness. How will you respond to the blessings of our God? Which camp will you be in?
I pray for all of us today, that we seize and appreciate the blessing of The Holy Spirit in our lives. That we bear good fruit, speak words that build and encourage and truly turn from the things that distract us from basking in the glory of the Son of God.
Tomorrow's passage: Job 28-29, Matthew 13:1-30
6 comments:
Thank you, Jody, those same verses stood out to me as well. The other verse that stood out was the one that said a tree is recognized by its fruit. It's not enough just to stand there doing nothing. We are to bear fruit. That's definitely something I need to keep in mind.
It's the same way with breaking bad habits, too, isn't it? It's SO important to go beyond breaking the bad habits to REPLACING them with good ones. I guess that's where the bearing fruit really becomes evident.
Like figuring out something to do instead of wasting time here at the computer....
Hypothetically speaking, of course! ;)
Wow! Thank-you! Those are some powerful verses! Thank-you for making me realize how important they are.
The same verses jumped out at me . . . I love your discussion of them Jodi.
Interestingly the fruit verse Miriam mentioned also struck a cord with me. When discussing the Bible and Christianity with others it seems that "interpretations abound" and sometimes I wonder if I'll know which people are sincerely searching for God's truth (and deriving their beliefs from such) and which people are forming opinions on half-baked theories. That verse reminded me that I will not only know something about my relationship with God by the fruit I'm bearing, but also I will know godly people by the fruit they bear.
The same verses spoke to me as well. I think the fruit that we bear does fit together as a great illustration of them as well. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it does reflect in our words and actions and the opposite is true as well.
Great post Jody. Definitely speaks to the need for intentionality in our spiritual development as Christians doesn't it?!
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