Just a little nail...

JUST A LITTLE NAIL

The mysterious man was selling his home for a ridiculously low price. The only condition was that there was just one nail he would not sell. The new homeowners were thrilled and thought little of the implications just one nail could make~ especially the one the man was asking for. One clear up in the attic. Sure, he could have "ownership" of that one nail and visit it whenever he wanted. They were going to be homeowners at last!

A week passed and the man returned to see his nail. While there he hung a piece of meat on it. He warned the homeowners that by contractual agreement they were not allowed to touch his nail or anything on it. Doing so would put them in violation of the law and so forfeit ownership back to him. With that he left.

Over the coming summer weeks the meat began to decay. Flies began to breed and the meat gave off an odor that was so terrible that the homeowners could no longer stand to remain in the home.

Just one nail not given over to the new owners had made the entire home utterly useless.



JUST A LITTLE SIN

And so it is with sin that we are unwilling to deal with in our lives, isn't it? We may reason that our heart belongs to God, but as He reveals various sins to us if we do not repent (agree with God that He is right and turn from said sin) it becomes just like that flesh rotting in the attic.

My brother in law was sharing that analogy with us this past weekend and reflecting on the fact that media often seems to be that "one little nail" Christians have a hard time giving up. Whatever thing pricks at our conscience; whether it be ungodly media, gossip or thinking the worst of others (little things, right?); we must be willing to readily turn these over to the Lord.

It does no good to reason that it is an unimportant or little sin. Or even that other Christians are doing the exact same thing. We must recall that it is the little foxes that creep in and ruin all.

Wasn't it just a little sin when Adam ate the fruit?







PRUNING

We began Isaiah in family worship today. This morning Tom read Chapter 1.


"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
put away evil of your doings from before my eyes.
Cease to do evil, learn to do good."

Isaiah 1:16


We considered as a family and individually what sins we need to forsake and how to do that. Discussing both sins of omission and commission and what the Lord says about purging these things. He has said we are to "cut off" sin and be so serious about it that it could be as painful as losing a limb if need be. We are to be wholly His.

We talked about what kind of fruit we see in our lives and how the Lord desires for us to clean the inside of the cup. One of the girls said that if we do not clean the inside, our lives are like the potatoes of the great potato famine. They start out looking good on the outside, but they become black and useless. From the mouths of babes.

"Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness;
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

1 Cor 5:6-8

Praise God that in Christ what is impossible is made possible!


Blessings to you as you lead little hearts home.
Rebecca


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If you enjoy Voddie's direct style, you will enjoy PAUL WASHER. This is an excerpt from a talk given to 5,000 youth. May we stop short of nothing but true repentance and humility as we train these young hearts. This is too powerful to miss. Not recommended for young children.