November 23: Matthew 12 43-45

Key Verse: Matthew 12 44
Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.

Devotion:
Have you ever moved to a new house? What sort of state did you leave your old house in and what state did you find the new house in? It is much better to find the house you want to move into is clean and tidy than a shambles! So, what has this to do with me? Well our bodies are described as being a temple or dwelling into which we can invite the Holy Spirit.

When we ask God to forgive us of the sins we have done in our lives, He is faithful to do exactly that – this is much the same as getting someone in to clean out your dwelling place so it is the best place for its new occupant. But just who is going to be the new occupant? Who do we invite into our lives and how do we treat them? Jesus describes a scene where we try to get rid of the old occupants of our lives and get ready for something new; but if we are not asking God to be that occupant in the form of the Holy Spirit, our dwelling place is a prime location for the wrong spirit to move into!

God not only wants us to be cleansed by Christ as we ask for forgiveness, but He wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. If you were selling your house, would you clean it up and then leave it unoccupied and unlocked or would you try to get the new owners to move in as soon as they can? Jesus wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit as soon as we are cleansed so there will be no room for evil in our lives. The more we work with God and allow Him to fill our lives, the less chance of evil invading our lives once again…

When we invite Christ into our lives it should be with a willing heart to have Him occupy our lives and not just for Him to come and clean once in a while! If we do not turn away from our old ways, we are more likely to have our old problems invade our lives and maybe more so because we have an open space which we feel should be filled in some way…

Points to Ponder:
Do you get Christ in as an occasional cleaner?

Or do you invite Him in to stay and fill your temple?