One day I escaped from the office and went to the basement parlor of the church to have some quiet time with the Lord. It’s good to get away from the phone and possible visitors on occasion to clear my head, to think through and pray about the ministries of our church. Now when I say “quiet time” in this instance I don’t mean “silence” because that is not the case in my choice of locations. Like many other basement situations we are blessed with a good bit of moisture in the air [especially during these hot summer days] and therefore we’ve placed several dehumidifiers downstairs. So while the Lord and I were enjoying some intimate time together there was a constant drone in the background as the dehumidifiers did their needed work.
At one point in our conversation my mind began to wander [I’m sure you don’t have that problem]. It wasn’t that the drone was getting on my nerves, it was just that it was SO, SO constant, and my mind began to focus on what was taking place outside the room I was in. I started giving thought to how the machine was sucking the water right out of the air. Then I began to think about the number of dehumidifiers we have and that all three need to be emptied at least once each day. That’s a lot of water being drawn out of the atmosphere.
As I said, my mind was wandering, but it was a directed wandering. How do I know that? Well, the Holy Spirit immediately filled my thoughts with Scriptures about how God [Jeremiah 2:13], Jesus [John 4:7-13], and the Holy Spirit [John 7:38-39] are described in terms of water. And with those descriptions are words like “spring of living water” and “spring of water welling up” and “streams of living water that will flow from within him”. The whole idea is that God’s life is to infiltrate, fill and flow through our life.
Then the arrow of God’s conviction struck my heart as He said, “Steve, you are allowing too many things to suck my life right out of your living and ministry. There are too many dehumidifiers and I’m not able to fill and flow through you. I want you to be a Humidifier [putting water into the air] that injects Me into all areas of your life and into your relationships with others. It’s time to shut down the dehumidifiers that are draining you spiritually”
Can you relate with any of this? What is hindering God from doing all of what He wants to do in and through you? What in your life seems to drain your spiritual energy? What has the track record of taking your thoughts and attention off of the Lord? Can anything be done about those dehumidifiers in your life? Can they be turned off? Can you reduce the about of spiritual water they are squeezing from your life?
Now the Lord and I are going to have to do our own personal work about turning off the dehumidifiers on this end, so that He can expand His territory and be in control of me and my situations. But, how about on your end? Do you need to let the Lord lead in some directed wandering as you think about what is hindering the Water of Life from filling and flowing through you? Will you have the courage to shut those leaks off? There are too many lost people – too many hurting people – that need the Water of Life – in large doses through us. Will you seek to be God’s humidifier?
Are you full of it? It, being Him! Or are you leaking? Are you a dehumidifier or a humidifier?
Fill me up Lord
Help me to inject you in every part of my life
And into every relationship & situation
Pastor Steve