The sunny weather outside help to put me in the mood to clean up my porch and to get the fountain outside of my window up and running again after the long cold winter. I love the sound of the running water outside of our kitchen window. You can hear it throughout our little apartment. It is so peaceful. One problem that I always encounter is that of keeping the water clean and clear. It does not matter that the water filters through the pump and runs continuously. It just will not stay clean, so I have to keep a chemical in it to help it stay clear. As long as I keep the chemical in the water it is really clear and clean. God's word says this in Ezekiel chapter 36,
"I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean, I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
In this passage we are told of how God, whose name has been profaned (dirtied) among the nations will display his holiness in the restoration of his people(Israel). Israel will once again prosper so that it can become a place of blessing. God is making a promise to cleanse and restore his now defiled and scattered people. The purpose of God's plan with Israel is that the whole world may know the true God through them. God is promising 4 things; 1) return of the exiles. 2) Cleansing from sin. 3) renewal of heart. 4) enablement by God's Spirit to live God's way. There is a wonderful promise in this passage that includes something for us. The promise of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us! You see just like the chemical I put in the water to keep it clean, Our Father, God places through His Son the wonderful Holy Spirit inside us to dwell and to help keep our "living" water flowing clean and pure. It is the Holy Spirit enables us to do these 4 things; 1) brings us back to the reality of who we are, 2) Convicts us of sin in our lives, 3) Keeps our hearts clean & pure, 4) enables us to live out our lives God's way. Without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives we can be nothing but dirty water that does not touch others with its peace and hope.
Just as I took time to clean out the fountain and get it running pure and clean again. I too, need to take time out to make sure that I am allowing the Holy Spirit to cleanse me, enable me and to work through me so that I can be a blessing to those around me.
