“Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness!” Luke 11:39
The one special detail about visiting Mexico that most people will instantly comment on is the water. Don’t drink the water in Mexico. And the saying is true, consistently drinking the water in Mexico can cause many problems that you just don’t want. So as a result, everyone in Mexico including the nationals, drink purified water. And to do this we use what’s called a garrafone (gah-ra-phone) which are basically 5 gallon plastic water containers. And when they get empty you take them to a water purification station and they will happily refill them for you for about 75 US cents. But what’s interesting is that before they refill your empty garrafone, they clean it. And to do that, they place it over a big spout and shoot hot steam in it to kill anything that might exist on the inside. Now the garrafone looked perfectly clean to me when I brought it, but just to be sure that my new water is not contaminated in any way, what’s holding that precious water must be clean inside before more precious water is added. And folks, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ says that we are no different than a Mexican garrafone.
This world places much emphasis on the outside. How you look, your hair, your complexion, stature, ability to orate well, physique. Basically how you look, sound, and appear to the world around you. But recall the story of when Samuel was to go and anoint the young shepherd boy David as the next king. God passed up the older more appealing exteriors of the other brothers to settle on the young ruddy sheep herder and soon to be giant killer. And we’re told of God’s selection criteria soon after.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
As you look in the mirror today to get yourself ready for work, school, church, an appointment, or just life, what you see is not what God sees. God is looking well beyond that mirrored reflection to the spiritual heart that beats within your chest. And as God looks upon your spiritual center, He is asking you a simple question…before He fills you up for the day, is your interior being steamed squeaky clean like a Mexican garrafone?
You see, it just won’t do to put something clean into a dirty container. In fact, it’s pointless. So just how exactly do you ensure that as you are praying for God to fill you to overflowing through His Word and Holy Spirit, do you ensure that the vessel is not as the Pharisees He is addressing in Luke chapter 11, but instead clean and ready to hold the precious commodity He will entrust to you? I have been asking the Lord just this question for days now…and He spoke to me one word…honesty. I believe brutal honesty before the Lord is the key to Him cleansing us from the inside.
Jesus knows your interior condition yet He is so desirous to see how you will control its condition. And honesty is the only way to thoroughly allow the sinful contaminants to break free and let the cleansing commence. What sin has been luring your mind into places lately it should not be treading? In great honesty, repent and ask forgiveness from the Lord. What sin has been moving your hands and feet into action lately that later grieve the Holy Spirit with your decisions? Admit them honestly and openly to the Lord and repent of them. You see, honesty before the Lord is an ongoing cycle of repentance that is necessary for the daily cleansing of the vessel that allows the purity of the Holy Spirit to continue operating unhindered.
Today, before your daily prayer time with the Lord, have some time of life analyzation. Look to the things you said, thought, or did that displeased the Lord and then honestly admit them before the Lord. Yes, your heavenly Father already knows, but in the the admittance is a process of renewing and rebuilding of the heart and relationship that must happen for sanctification. And as you admit, confess, and repent of the sin in your life, a miracle will happen. God will place you over a spout and steam your soul clean, allowing His goodness, love, peace, joy, and purpose to rest comfortably inside the vessel that He has created. And folks, that is a vessel that is now ready to carry the good news of Jesus to the world in the way it was intended. Holy, sanctified, pure believers in Jesus, carrying a pure message to an impure world.
I pray your vessel is being filled to overflowing today through the goodness of Jesus Christ ~ Dan
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