As I listen, I have to wonder how much "dust" may have accumulated in my heart. It doesn't take long, as anyone experienced with house cleaning knows. How much of my life truly needs the fresh wind of His Spirit blowing through it, blowing out the "things" that, like dust in our homes, has accumulated due to neglect or complacency? These things may even be what I've deemed to be precious, but when placed beside the surpassing riches of His life are nothing more than dust in comparison. Or as Paul put it, "dung." Either way, I need those constant blowings of His Spirit through mine, ridding me of the dust that clogs my heart and mind. In your heart, you know you do too.
It's so easy as we journey through to pick up a great deal of "traveling dirt." We can get used to it and come not to even be bothered by it. We just accept it as part of the walk. Green didn't know such a sentiment and wrote in this song, Separate me from this world Lord, sanctify my heart for You. Daily change me to Your image. Help me bear good fruit.
We don't hear much of the word "sanctify" in the church these days and we understand it even less. Do we even want to? I get that the church needs to speak to the world in language they can grasp, but that doesn't bring inner transformation when we are nothing more than outwardly clean versions of themselves. I've a quote in my prayer journal from an unknown source that says, "The world doesn't need a religious version of itself." It doesn't. It needs a holy one, walking and ministering in His Holy Spirit power, bearing good fruit and more, being the portrait of Christ to a world desperate for Him. We can't when the dust of this world has become so thick in us as to render us powerless. We need the rushing wind. We need it now.
We don't hear much of the word "sanctify" in the church these days and we understand it even less. Do we even want to? I get that the church needs to speak to the world in language they can grasp, but that doesn't bring inner transformation when we are nothing more than outwardly clean versions of themselves. I've a quote in my prayer journal from an unknown source that says, "The world doesn't need a religious version of itself." It doesn't. It needs a holy one, walking and ministering in His Holy Spirit power, bearing good fruit and more, being the portrait of Christ to a world desperate for Him. We can't when the dust of this world has become so thick in us as to render us powerless. We need the rushing wind. We need it now.
The rushing wind Green speaks of is the wind that came upon the church at Pentecost as related in the second chapter of Acts. Every year churches commemorate Pentecost Sunday without really knowing or experiencing its reality. It's deteriorated into little more than a tired remembrance of what once was instead of a celebration of what it is in us right now. It reminds me of the picture of a powerful locomotive from years gone by and now sitting in a museum. It looks powerful and it has all the equipment that can make it run powerfully, but it lacks one vital thing: there is no fire fueling the engine. It's only a shadow of what is meant to be. So too is much of the professing church these days. We need the fresh wind of His Spirit restoring His Holy fire within us and His church. Blowing out all the dust within.
One more line of the son; Jesus, You're the One who set my spirit free. Use me Lord. Glorify Your name through me. We may know He's the One, but has He set our spirit, your spirit, free? Can He really use us? Are we living dust free lives that bring glory to His name? That is what a sanctified, set apart, filled with His Spirit life is all about. Is it what our life is all about? The winds are blowing. Will they blow through us?
Blessings,
Blessings,
Pastor O
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