Clean It Out!

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Today's Passge: Luke 9:22-25
Memory Verse: Luke 9:23

Every once in a while, health experts and nutritionists say it's important to "detox". This simply means to clean out your digestive system of all the things that keep it bogged down as a result of unhealthy eating. Number one on the list are "junky" snack foods that only taste good going down, but add no nutritional value to our bodies because they're filled with preservatives and other chemicals that make us addicted to them. The number two deadly poison that we consume without thought are the "white foods": processed items such as white bread, pasta, rice, biscuits, and anything breaded (made with enriched white flour). Again, they taste great going down, but our digestive system has a hard time knowing where to put them since they are only loaded with calories and not too much else. So they're simply "stored" on a part of us that everyone can see --a sure sign that we're carrying too much flesh.

Now go with me into the spirit realm. On a daily basis, we allow so much "junk" to enter our spirits. One example is the long list of negative things on television that we see and hear such as the news, talk shows that offer "entertainment" during the week, and reality shows which are simply the enemy's way of persuading us to accept our demoralized society for what it has become. Some of us may even go so far as to indulge in "white magic" (the enemy's way of getting us to enhance his kingdom without knowing it). We may still be reading the daily horoscope and consulting "seers" or fortune tellers, thinking they are harmless activities when actually they blind us and tune out the voice and will of the Father in our lives.

Saints, when we gave our lives to the Lord, we took on the characteristics of a new kingdom: the kingdom of light. It's a kingdom whose sole purpose is to bring God's will to this earth. But because we are in this world, some of its ugliness finds its way into our spirits, and pretty soon, we've put on more "flesh" -- more of what WE think, want, and feel. The only way to get back to where we can focus on what God wants once more is to spiritually detox, or dedicate ourselves to a time of fasting and prayer. You see, God knows that living in this world will put a strain on our spiritual well-being because the enemy is a master at making the things of this world too attractive to pass up, much like all that great-tasting but toxic food. We need time to flush the sights, sounds, and smells of this world out of our systems, laying aside the weight that so easily distracts us.

Find some time to deny yourself and come away to all that is pure and naturally divine. Cut out the things that stop us from hearing and seeing the Father. It may be difficult, but nothing worth gaining is easy. As you begin your spiritual detox, you'll literally begin to walk lighter. This is your sure sign that you're in tune with God and open to His will. Ready? Let's get cleaned out!

Prayer: Father, thank You for thinking of everything. You already made a way for me to get back to You after spending any amount of time in this world. I begin to deny myself now, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling which is You. Take me higher and deeper in You, Lord, and get all the glory from my sacrifice. In Jesus' Name, Amen.