We've had the funniest thing happen the last couple of years.
It started soon after we moved into our newly built home - something was scratching
around and squeaking in the woodstove. We figured it was a bird, but were shocked when seven soot-covered starlings
flew out into my husband's face.
After cleaning up the mess, we figured it was just a fluke. But day after day,
for several weeks, we pulled a total of thirty-something starlings from our stove.
After awhile it wasn't funny, so (being spiritual) I prayed that it would stop.
But the next spring it started up again. Well, somewhere in the midst of all of this we had a revelation:
the starlings were cleaning our chimney! What looked to be a strange annoyance turned
out to be a huge blessing.
As Christians, we are a little like chimneys - we need regular cleanings. We
may appear nice and neat on the outside, but everywhere we go, everywhere we look, ungodly sounds and images
bombard us. So just as Jesus washed the disciples' feet (John
13:1-17), He still washes us today.
Sometimes God allows little annoyances to fly through our lives to knock the soot
out of our chimney, showing us what is hidden deep inside that we may not even know ourselves. At first we may rebuke
these disturbances as attacks from the enemy. But, hopefully, revelation will come: God is wanting to cleanse
me!
Ephesians 5:26 states that we are washed by the Word, a precise but sometimes
uncomfortable process: "For the Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting
deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are." (Heb. 4:12)
But, oh, the rewards! "If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil
God can use for His purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good
work." (II Tim. 2:21)
Never doubt the importance of this regular, internal purifying. Jesus rebuked
the scribes and Pharisees sharply for being more concerned about external appearances than the condition of their hearts:
"Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too." (Matt.
23:26)
So, when things start to annoy or disturb you on the inside, maybe God is just
doing a little spring cleaning! Dive into the Word and expect the greater reward in the end!
Amy
