Some time ago...45 years ago to be exact, we offered to help with the rehabilitation of a "friend" who had been in prison for a couple of years. He could get parole with an early release if he had a job and secondly, if he had a place to stay.
We offered him a place to stay.
On the day that he was released, he was fetched by his father, his sister and his brother-in-law, (they had come up from the Vaal area) and they brought him to my home.
Great joy and celebrations for them all!
When, late that night, they were still there, I was asked if they could stay over...I agreed.
The one night became the weekend...the weekend became the week...the week became two weeks...
I was the only one working...and they would sit in my house, day after day, helping themselves to our food, phoning friends and family and in the evening when I got home from work, I would have to feed everyone, do the dishes for everyone, make coffee for everyone...they just never went home.
Then one Friday evening, I became aware that they were going home to the Vaal for the weekend...and to my shock...to fetch clothing so that they could come back and start looking for jobs in Johannesburg and I put my foot down! Enough! The "friend" could stay...everybody else...out!
Have you ever experienced something like that?
It was just recently, that the Holy Spirit brought it back to my rememberance...and on pondering the situation, I came to understand that we do this to ourselves far more often then we realize.
Whether you are a blood bought, redeemed, born again Christian or not...we have allowed the enemy to move into different areas of our lives...our understanding...our bodies...destroyed works of the devil, which we are housing!
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
1 John 3:8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
So many of the things that we accept into our life are destructive in their very foundation.
Very often, what we listen to has the ability to destroy our confidence, our hope, our health, our peace, our faith.
We allow destructive behaviours, eating and drinking habits in to rule over us...when we know that they are bad for us.
It's time to take stock of what we have allowed to take up residence in this temple that we live in...time to say.."No! Everybody and everything that is destructive and a thief of my peace, my well being and my joy...Get Out!!!"
Lets clean house!
From my heart to yours!
XXX
Sylvia
