What do we do when we do get our way? Or when we think we got our way? When we believe God answered our prayers, and rejected the opponent's prayers? Since I addressed my/our side yesterday, I thought it might be helpful to think about it from the opposite perspective. So, let us imagine role reversal.
Ok, sounds good, but let's not. Not yet, anyway. That just hurts too much today. And what really hurts is the attitude from some of the "winners" of Tuesday's election. Please, Lord, I do not want to think any of us would have said the vile, ugliness I have heard. (FYI, be careful where you look. I just wanted to encourage Mike Huckabee for his wonderful, encouragement from God's Word. My heart sank at the hate directed at that delightful man of God. I know evil attacks if you are doing good, and that must be the case with Mike.)
Forget the role switch for now.
Here is the example I can't get get out of my mind: As some of you know, I inherited my childhood home in Lampasas county. It is my earthly Paradise, and that's it's name. I have been remodeling it for almost a year and finally had to replace the hot water heater. Stay with me here, ok? The strange truth is that a house that stands empty for weeks at a time has challenges. A huge one for me is "stinky water!" Yes, after less than a month, the hot water smelled like rotten eggs! Here is why: the manufacturer puts a metal piece called the "sacrificial" anode in the tank. It attracts and holds chemical impurities in the water that might corrode the tank itself. A lot of people remove it before they even install the tank. Yes, it voids the warranty, but with the attracting anode gone, the water flows freely through, gets hot and yea! No smell! The offending minerals are still there, but they are no longer concentrated. Lovely water again!
This is how I see us. Jesus Christ gave pure, living water to those He touched here on earth and today through belief and living in His life promises. We are like the tank with the smelly water to give off, until Jesus removes the terrible, smelly anode of sin. Before Jesus comes into our lives, we are helpless to give out anything pure. Sin is collecting all day long. Simple right? Anode gone, water sweet! However, just as the water coming out of my heater tastes better and smells better, it is still not pure. There is impurity there, but it is diluted and can't stick in the tank to pollute the water. Even though Jesus removed the anode or sin collector in us, we still are sinners and need a constant refreshing of Jesus to keep the water coming out of us better, purer and attractive to those who need the spiritual water for today.
Let us then today, give out living water. Run from those giving out the stinky water. Those who continue to profess with their mouths that they are Christians, that God is on their side, that our prayers weren't answered because we aren't on the "right" side of the election. We are not like that! We are better than that! And though we are not pure, we can through the sacrifice of Jesus, give out sweet, living water!
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13
Dear Father, Let us give out Your eternal water to someone today. Amen
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