A FILLING

I'm thinking that most of you think from this title that I have been to the dentist.  Wrong.  I am going in a few weeks and hope the title of this lesson doesn't apply to me then.  For sure.

Unfortunately, the beginning of this post is just like usual it seems.  It always seems to hinge on the fact that I’ve been thinking lately.   And lately, a lot of thoughts come from my treadmill book.  At least I’m exercising my spiritual life AND my body.  I have to walk on the treadmill to read my treadmill book.  And just in case you are wondering, my treadmill speed has increased lately as well.  I’m walking faster than ever before.  Granted not as fast as some of you youngsters, but fast for me.  And yes, I feel very accomplished at that….helps me grow nearer to my weight loss goal for sure.  Just sayin' because I'm glad. 

Sunday night The Husband and I went to a revival where my daddy was preaching.  For his scripture reading, he read this:

Luke 12:14-21:

“And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man bought forth plentifully:

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, “This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will bestow all my fruits and my goods.

And I will to my soul, Soul, thou hast much good laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Now in my treadmill book just last week (yes I’ve been thinking of this several days), the reading was saying in a nutshell that we are often so full of ourselves that God can’t fill us, however, when we are empty, He fills us full of His good things, filling us with spiritual goodness that reflects His honor and glory.   

I was thinking about the sermon scripture and, no, I don’t intend this to be a Sunday School lesson, just a thought process.  In my own life, I get in my mind that I know what is good.  I know what will work best.  I have all the right answers.  When, in truth, I know nothing on my own.  On the other hand, with the Lord, I can know everything when He fills me with His Word, His love, and all the other things that He fills with….the list is endless.   I am often guilty of being willing to do more, but I lose focus on whether the “more” is because I think it is a good thing and not that the Lord thinks it a good thing. 

Something else the treadmill book addressed that really answered a question I had been struggling with is that often the Lord leads us in a certain direction and we follow that direction but the direction takes a turn in another direction.  That’s a lot of directions but hopefully you are following me.  The book text reminded me that God sees the BIG picture and uses everything to His honor and His glory.  I know that.  Really.  I just have to be reminded on occasion.

So the bottom line is that when I am full of myself, God really can’t use me.  But when I empty myself, God has a vessel fit for His use. 

I want to be filled with the goodness of the Lord, not with what I think is goodness of my own self.  And somehow, even though I probably have butchered this post and got you totally confused, a lot of questions have been answered for me.  Basically, I want more of HIM.

One of the scriptures I read often that applies pretty good here is this:

“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

I really like that…..