..........taken to the Cleaner

Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."   We often feel we must clean-up before some event (e.g.  our home before a visit from family/friends, perhaps watch what we eat  before an annual physical/Dr. visit) and we ‘think' we must clean up our lives before we come to God.  The Bible tells us that we can never be clean enough/sinless no matter what we do....simply put, it's not about what 'we' can/cannot do!  God wants us to come as we are, humble ourselves, be obedient(not without sin as that is not possible).  Then, He will do the ‘cleaning’ as we search Him and live obediently.    Blessings in your pursuit.......TO

Ask........for empty jars!

2 Kings 4:1-7

This story now speaks clearly to me. God often plans to meet our needs through others. Yet if we keep problems to ourselves, we might hinder His plan to bless our friends and broadcast His faithfulness. I'm learning to deny the lies of a prideful spirit in exchange for a humble plea for help. I need to  trade my fierce independence for God's plan of community.  The widow did as Elisha instructed. When she returned home, she started pouring. As each jar filled, her sons brought her another. They filled every borrowed jar with oil. Elisha then told her to sell the oil, pay the creditors and live off the rest. She did.  What is interesting about this story is that the quantity of the miracle oil was in direct proportion to the number of neighbors she asked for help.  If she had simply asked a few, that's all she would have received.  She was instructed to ask many, and she abundantly received.  The more people the widow asked for help, the greater God's provision.  James 5:16, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective……..It's past time to take off the masks, humble ourselves, submitting all to God.......sharing one another's burdens in love.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO