But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will
come forth as gold. - Job23:10
A man named Ed was sitting out in his backyard one day and he
began to notice the poor condition of his wooden fence. Most of it was
sun-bleached gray, and the parts that were close to the sprinkler heads had a
good layer of mildew. But Ed didn’t think much of it.
Some time passed, and Ed’s neighbour bought a new pressure
washer, which he used to clean his own fence. Ed saw that his neighbour’s fence
looked just like new, so he asked him if he could to borrow the tool to spray
his fence as well.
After several hours of spraying, Ed’s fence looked good as new
too. But he didn’t stop there. He also used it on the eaves of his house, his
brick, and his backyard deck. It all looked so good!
Very often in our lives, God has to address areas of disrepair –
attitudes and actions which have grown moldy and ugly without us even noticing.
And in doing so, He has to apply pressure, which is sometimes painful.
But when we have a willing heart and open our lives to God, He
will wash away the dirt and the grime. It might take some pressure, but it will
lead us to a more joyful, fulfilled, and God-honouring life!
Prayer Challenge:
Ask God to show you attitudes and actions in your life that have
fallen into disrepair. Hand those over to Him.
Questions for Thought:
If you’re honest, what are some areas of your life where you’ve
grown moldy that you need to address?
How might God want to deal with those negative actions and
attitudes?