The Empty House

In our little village, there are numerous buildings and even houses that sit empty. There is a pretty house located on main street and for years, the owner had intentions of turning it into a Bed & Breakfast but it never happened. Instead, this home sits empty. It is not good for houses to sit empty for years, not being maintained. They become run down, sometimes broken into and vandalized and can even become hangouts for druggies. It saddens me to see this place just sit empty, when it could become a home for a family to fill with good things!

This reminded me of the “Empty House” parable that Jesus shared in Matthew 12:43-45:

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”

OUR HEART IS LIKE A HOME. When we come to Christ, our heart is cleansed. If we do not make the effort to fill our home with good things, then evil things are likely to return and with a vengeance and then there is the danger of our heart becoming hardened.

God’s presence should be an ongoing experience in our lives. If his presence is missing from our lives something else will take his place.

When a person empties himself of sin, yet remains empty, not filling himself of Godly things, then the evil spirits return and find it empty, and brings 7 other spirits with it, making the state of that person worse than before.

Using demon possession, Jesus warned that it is not enough to go through an initial period of repentance and removal of sin, unless reformation continues and something positive is put in place. Otherwise, the end might prove worse than the beginning.

If you have found yourself slipping back into your old ways, begin asking yourself:

-- Have I been filling myself with Godly things?

-- Have I started missing Church? Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17)
-- Do I feed myself on God's Word? Read Bible Daily. Fill heart with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. (Eph 5:19)

-- What kind of people am I keeping company with? Choose your friends carefully (1 Cor 15:33) They will either help or hinder (Prov 13:20)

It does no good for us to “clean up our act” while avoiding a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ. All those things of the world that you choose to partake of, attempting to fill that void in your heart, will not bring you fulfillment. It is just temporary, and will bring harm and destruction.

Keep in mind.....

You cannot have communion with darkness and expect the Light of God to dwell in you. (2 Cor 6:14-7:1)

Connie J. Schmoll