Good morning on this Saturday, March 17th. Wow, I can't remember nicer weather this time of the year. To have successive temps in the mid 80s in mid-March is a bonus for us mid-westerners who usually don't get this kind of weather until May or June. I've noticed people taking advantage of the warm sunny days by doing all sorts of spring-type activities including cleaning up, painting up, and fixing up. Cleaning porches, patios and decks, cleaning up the debris from the lawn and other types of spring cleaning are underway in many homes. It is the traditional spring cleaning regime but is occurring a little earlier than usual.
Do you ever do a spring-type cleaning in your spiritual life? The Psalmist wrote, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 119:23-24). The New Testament in both 1st and 2nd Corinthians admonishes us to examine ourselves (1 Corinthians 11:28; 2 Corinthians 13:5).
If you will spend some time alone with God and pray Psalm 119: 23-24, asking God to search you and know your heart; to try you and know your thoughts; to see if there is any sinful way in you; and to lead you in the way everlasting, you will be surprised at how God will answer that prayer. He will most likely bring to your attention things in your life which need to be confessed and changed and show you things which you may not have realized have been detrimently lingering in your soul. Then comes the "cleaning" part where you come clean by acknowledging and confessing those things to God and allowing the Spirit of God to change you by overcoming those sinful attitudes and practices. Just as it is so satisfying to look at your lawn or porch after a good cleaning, you will find great satisfaction in examining the newly-cleaned version of you. Jesus reminded us of the blessing of having a pure heart in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." That is a promise well worth claiming, isn't it?
Tomorrow's sermon is an exposition of Ephesians chapter 3. I hope to see you there.
Mel Brown