I was doing some cleaning out of my fridge when I decided it was high time I throw out some home-made plum jam a friend had given me...quite a while ago. In the bowl, it still looked like jam. However, upon closer examination, it was hard as a rock and stuck in the bowl like super glue!
So, I had two choices: 1. toss the bowl and forget it, or 2. put the bowl under water and let it soak to loosen up the plum jam. I chose the latter. What transpired was interesting....the water simply richocheted off the rock hard plum jam. At first I thought I would have to resort to number 1. above. I decided however, that I would let it sit in hot water and just soak.
The next day, a bit of the plum jam sort of "broke off"....so I ran more water over it and let it soak again. Day 2: more jam disintegrated. Day 3: even more, but a small remnant remained in the bottom of the bowl...more soaking time.
Finally, this afternoon, I ran fresh, hot water into the bowl, and the last remnants of the hardened jam loosened up and washed away. God immediately showed me how similar our hearts can be sometimes. There's a hardness that only the fire of the Holy Spirit can penetrate, and it could take days...or even weeks or months...before things are softened up enough for God to break through, wash away that which keeps us from being clean and ready to be filled with His freshness, for His purposes.
2 comments:
or years... that's why we don't give up on people! He isn't finished with us! - TF
Amen! It's all in HIS perfect timing for EVERYTHING!!!!!!
Post a Comment