Do you have any idea how much water you can lose if you have a faucet that is dripping or a leaky toilet? It might actually amaze you. Last summer my water bill went up considerably from one month to the next, very considerably. I knew that I had not used a lot of extra water. So I called the water department and spoke with someone and a very nice young man came out to meet with me. He had a graph that showed me exactly my water usage for the past month. I was glad that he had documentation and I could see the resulting details of all those drop-drop-drops.
We finally came to the conclusion that the toilet in the extra bathroom, that is not used very often, had a flapper that was not closing all the way so that there was just a little bit of water leaking out of it all the time. You could not even hear it. It had been slowly leaking out drop by drop until it turned into a big issue. I could not believe how much water that went through unnoticed in one weekend.
So over the past week, with multiple days of below freezing temperatures, I have been letting water drip and run a little bit to try to keep the pipes from freezing. I saw on the Internet where people were catching the dripping water to use it to drink or cook with or even flush the toilet. So I found every big pot or pan or bucket that I could to catch water.
Last night I had a three gallon bucket that I put in the sink. The bucket was completely full and running over from midnight to probably 8 AM. That’s a lot of water just to be drop-drop-dropping down the drain to be lost. I can’t imagine what that is going to look like on my next water bill. At least it is not being taken from me without my knowledge. It may hurt, but at least I have my eye on this detail this time.
Satan can steal from us in little bitty drops like that, and we don’t realize at the time that things are being taken from us. But when you get to the end result and see what has happened in your life, you can see that those little drops really count. Just one look…just one drink… just one touch…just one taste…just one conversation…just one time…just once won’t hurt. Then the “just once” happens over and over until you are walking in the flesh and have moved a considerable distance from your safe place.
Strong Christians who are walking consistently with the Spirit and who are spending time with God each day do not get up one morning and just fall into a pit of sin. There are tiny little steps taken away from your relationship with the Spirit. These tiny steps cause you to stumble…minimal drops falling into the muck and mire surrounding the pit. If you are not careful, you find yourself at the precipice, ready to take a head long dive.
Do not let satan have even one little drop of anything that you hold sacred within your spirit that comes from your walk in the Spirit. Because before you know it, that drop is gonna end up overflowing a three gallon bucket.
In Galatians 5:16-26, Paul begins telling the church in Galatia that they are to walk in the Spirit. If they faithfully walk in the Spirit, they will not have the desires to fulfil the lust of the flesh. Paul told them that the flesh does lust against the Spirit, and that the Spirit is against the flesh. These two are contradictory to each other. If you are walking in the flesh, you cannot do the things of the Spirit because you will have no desire to do so. He reminded them that once they are filled by the Spirit, they are no longer accountable by the Law.
He went on to explain in detail what the works of the flesh are. He reminded them how he has outlined for them in the past that those who live their lives walking in the flesh to accomplish those works will not inherit the kingdom of God.
He reminded them that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. The Law is not against these.
He encouraged them with the reminder that once they belong to Christ, they have crucified the flesh and the affections and lusts it contains. He also encouraged them to live in the Spirit, and by doing this to walk in the Spirit also. He spurred them on to particularly avoid the desire of vain glory. He wished for them to not provoke each other or envy each other.
What is the challenge in this passage for those that call themselves Christian? We are human and we live in human flesh. This makes it difficult to turn away from fleshly desires. One challenge for us could be to continually keep our eyes on Christ, keep our walk with the Spirit and away from the temptations of the world. Another challenge is to continue to be dliberate in our actions and the things you seek to do each day.
How can we apply this passage to our lives? God unmistakably gives us the warning signs and tells us precisely what to avoid to stay out of the lust of the flesh. He also tells us unmistakably the ways to continue to walk in the Spirit. We need to make sure we make decisions and make the effort to place ourself in environments that make it easier to walk in the Spirit.
What does this mean to my faith? My faith is strengthened when I feel the Spirit within me nudging me in certain directions that will keep me out of places I do not need to be in. I am encouraged knowing that if I deliberately and faithfully walk in the Spirit, I will not have the desires to fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Lord, the evil one always tries to get us to leak out those little drops of our faith. Help me to keep a tight rein on my spirit and my faith so that there are no slow, drop-by-drop, leaks that cause me to stumble. Help me to never back away from You in any manner. Help my desire to always be for You and for coming closer and closer to You. Yes, help me keep my eyes on the details!
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“16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:16-26 (KJV)
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I feel that since God has given me the gift of this platform, I must always tell you about my Jesus.
What is your relationship to the all-knowing God of the universe? Do you know Jesus? Do you know the peace that can come only from an intimate relationship with Him? You can know Him. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, born into human flesh, sinless, crucified and giving His life freely, buried, arisen on the third day, will come into your life and change the outcome of your eternity. You just have to be willing to believe and accept His truth.
Here is an excellent website that can give you additional information about making your decision for Jesus Christ! PeaceWithGod.net
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Restricted Vision, Unburdened Sight 