Sunday Morning Inspiration
July 29, 2007
Last Week --
Last week, I shared a great analogy that I credited to someone called Shortgrass. With over 7,000 people receiving our Sunday Morning Inspirations, I felt sure someone would be able to identify Shortgrass. Unfortunately, I still don't know who Shortgrass is. I have been led to believe that he or she lives in Eastern Colorado – but that is all I know.
This Week --
After receiving last week's Sunday Morning Inspiration, Vondi Howe, an email subscriber from Ohio, responded by saying, "I was definitely blessed by your inspiration this morning. As I read it, an additional message built in my heart and I thought I would pass it along." Vondi took Shortgrass's analogy in a different direction, and I thought it was worth sharing. Thanks Vondi – and thanks Shortgrass.
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The land of Israel encompasses two major bodies of water. In the north part of the country lays the beautiful Sea of Galilee fed by the Jordan River as it flows from Mount Hermon southward. Teeming with life, this body of water symbolizes the richness of the land. The area supports a very productive fishing industry. All around are fields that produce abundantly from the life giving waters of the Jordan and the Sea. As the Jordan leaves the Sea of Galilee, it flows thru productive areas, but within sixty short miles it feeds another body of water known as the Dead Sea. No greenery, no growth, nothing lives in this area. Trees that once grew there are just skeletons of their once stately forms. Salt encrusts everything that touches this water.
What happened to the water in those few short miles? Actually nothing happened to the water. It is the fact that the Dead Sea has no outlet. Whatever flows in stays there.
We must guard our hearts. Just as the impurities that flow into the Dead Sea accumulate there, so do the things flowing into our hearts accumulate. We often ignore the things feeding into our minds and hearts throughout the course of the day. We allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the world.
Unless we consciously tune our radio or TV to Christian programming, we have a constant inundation of the world's ideals – lust, sex, illicit relationships, infidelity in marriage – all regarded as fun and games. We listen to the news which seems to focus on the evil of this world – theft, murder, rape, corporate embezzlement, corporate illegalities, crooked cops and hidden evils. We go to work and are surrounded by crude jokes, small thefts, character assassinations, gossip, lies and petty arguments. Often, we come home to arguments, anger and recriminations.
It is endless. And just as everything that comes in contact with the waters of the Dead Sea become covered with salt, so will everything we touch be contaminated by the things that accumulate in our hearts. The anger that has flowed into our minds all day will splash out on our family. The jealousy and lust engendered by songs and jokes about infidelity in marriage will overflow into doubt regarding our husband or wife.
The water flowing into the Dead Sea seems clean until it collects and concentrates under the hot sun. So it is with us. The multitude of worldly things flowing into our minds may seem innocuous, but unless we take steps to counter the flow it will concentrate and have a negative impact on our spiritual life. Thus, we must take the helmet of salvation and the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:17) to guard our minds and thoughts and create a dam that will counter the constant flow of the world into our minds.
We must endeavor to take to heart Paul's injunction to 'think on these things".
Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
When our minds are full of the things of God, it is difficult for anything else to get in. When we have within us a "well of water springing up" (John 4:14), it will keep the evil from accumulating. It will wash out the evil that has accumulated. Let us keep the well flowing by keeping our relationship with Christ close and personal and by focusing on the things of God.
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May God's Will be Done
on Earth as it is in Heaven
Kit Pharo
Pharo Cattle Co.
Cheyenne Wells, CO
Phone: 1-800-311-0995
Email:
[email protected]
Website: www.PharoCattle.com
:lol:
