How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalms 119:9-11 (NKJV)
Recently I attended a class where we learned how to clean out our closets. There are certain guidelines to follow as you clean, and even more on how to keep your closet clean after the renovation. The one principle that remains in my mind is that everything has a home - a place where it belongs - so put it there! That means every day I have to make an effort to hang up the clean clothes and put the dirty ones in a laundry basket. If I haven't worn it, I need to get rid of it (a re-sale store is great so someone else can enjoy it). And, no pile of shoes in the middle of the closet! If I want my closet to stay clean, I must follow these easy guidelines.
Part three of our CLOSET acrostic is the letter O - Obey the guidelines. In our spiritual lives, we can be successful at cleaning out the sin in our lives by obeying guidelines God has written for us in His Word. Our verse asks, "How does a young man keep his way pure?" The answer is that he must live according to God's Word. It takes effort on our part. Instruction does not just come our way, neither does knowledge. We have to seek out information and solutions and continually be learning from our experiences. The most important and reliable instructions can be found in the Bible. Are we reading it? Are we tucking away the things we are learning so when we find some clutter building up in our lives we can quickly clean it up and maintain a clean closet - a pure and holy life before God?
How would you describe your feelings as you procrastinate cleaning the closet? I feel lazy, annoyed, defeated, with a gray cloud looming above. Those same feelings of doom are present when we allow sin to clutter our lives and we do nothing to remove it. How do you feel after you have accomplished cleaning out a closet? Delighted, free, a burden lifted? Those same feelings can be ours when we repent of the present sin in our lives and replace it with holy living.
Deuteronomy 11:26- 27 shows us a clear choice God has allowed us. "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you."
Isn't it amazing that God gives us a choice between blessing and curses, obedience and disobedience? Knowing there is blessing for obedience, why do we so often choose to disobey? It is our sinful nature that draws us to disobedience. That little bit of clutter that slowly grows into something larger and keeps us lost in our sin.
Today, every day, let's choose obedience. Obey the simple guidelines God has and find blessing!
Lord, thank you for clear instructions for us to live pure lives. Help us to obey and not stray from your commands.
Janet Stutzman
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