I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying,
….for he speaks peace to his faithful people.
….But let them not return to their foolish ways. Psalm 85:8 NLT

John 17:13-21 (<<click here to read the passage)

Intersecting our property is a ditch that drains water from the fields across the road from our home. Not quite halfway through our lot, it veers onto our neighbor’s lot and from there it eventually flows to a very large pond that sits quite a way back behind us all.

On that side of our lot, we maintain to where this ditch crosses onto our neighbor’s property. But there’s a problem, over the last several years the ash trees on our land have all died due to an insect infestation. More recently some of them have fallen inhibiting the ditch from draining as it should. Over the years heavy rains have pushed leaves and branches down the ditch where the trees have fallen. In so doing they have clogged the flow of water. Water still gets through, but it backs up pretty badly.

Periodically I put on my boots and grab my handy garden rake and begin pulling out great piles of leaves and other debris. It’s the only way to open up the blocked ditch allowing it to flow freely once more.

In reading today’s passage my Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation had some inspirational thoughts about verse 17,

Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth. v17 AMP

A follower of Christ becomes pure and holy through believing and obeying the Word of God.

For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 AMP

He or she has already accepted forgiveness through Christ’s sacrificial death.

It was fitting for us to have such a High Priest [perfectly adapted to our needs], holy, blameless, unstained [by sin], separated from sinners and exalted higher than the heavens; who has no day by day need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices, first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements and] did this once for all when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice]. Hebrews 7:26-27 AMP

Unlike my drainage ditch, which gets infrequent attention, and clogs up regularly, it is imperative that we daily keep our spiritual channels clear of debris. By daily applying God’s word to our lives, it purifies our minds and hearts. If we skip days or weeks, the debris of sin begins to choke our spiritual growth. We need the Word’s benefits of pointing out the sin in our lives and then we can address it through confession. In so doing our relationship with Christ is renewed and we can live our lives more fully in Him and for Him.

Lord Jesus, may it be so!

Oct 20th, 2021, Wed, 5:36 pm