Ephesians 3:16-19 (ESV)
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant
you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what
is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of
Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness
of God.
As a graduate of Moody Bible Institute I love to read and
share some of his sermon illustrations. In one sermon, D.L. Moody held up a
glass and asked, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" One man
shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would
create a vacuum and shatter the glass." After numerous other suggestions
Moody smiled, took out a pitcher of water, and filled the glass.
"There," he said, "all the air is now removed."
He used this simple demonstration to explain that living
a victorious life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and
there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Later, he said, "I believe firmly that the moment
our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything
that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our
hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world,
there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be
filled."
Let's begin emptying ourselves today! We need to be
filled with God's Spirit so that we can be empowered to do great things!
Dear Lord, let us allow Your Holy Spirit to fill us completely
today so that it pushes out the things that dishonor You. In the Name of Jesus,
Amen.
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