"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." Colossians 3:17, KJV

Praise the Lord


Welcome to In His Name, a devotional site where the Word of God is posted and explored. This site embraces the love of Jesus Christ, encouraging Bible study.


Friday, January 29, 2010

The Empty Vessel

“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy,” Acts 2:16-18, KJV.

The Holy Spirit, God, lives within those who welcome Him; the ones who willingly open their hearts and minds to receive Him. Simply, to the people who aren’t ashamed to proclaim the goodness of the Lord. As I meditated on several chapters of the book of Daniel recently, the more I understood the necessity of standing firm on God’s Word.

Daniel’s interpretations of dreams did not come from himself, but the Holy One. He truly sought God in all that He did. Many revered the God he served as the most Holy One because He proved Himself over and over. And God still does the same things today. Keep in mind though the fact that Daniel sought not his own wisdom, but the Lord’s.

I think back to the first chapter of Daniel when he denied the king’s meat and refused to indulge in the king’s wine so that he would not be defiled. This was all in reverence to the Lord. When the days had passed Daniel and his friends’ appearances looked better than those who had eaten the meat. God blessed them with knowledge, skill, and understanding (Daniel 1:17). Later, Daniel and his friends found favor in the king’s eyes. I mention this to illustrate how one’s openness to God will benefit.

Daniel made himself available to God, in all aspects of his life. The commitment of servant hood was always found evident throughout the entire book of Daniel. I find Daniel a great example of a man who was empty of the world and willing to receive whatever God wanted to give.

When we wait with expectancy from the Lord, does He have room in our lives to move? Are there areas of unforgiveness, jealousy, or malice? By letting go of past hurts that may cause us to embrace that spiritual poison of unforgiveness releases God to act on our behalf. We must empty ourselves of the world in order for the Spirit to reside within.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” Matthew 6:14-15, KJV.

2 comments:

Desiray said...

I love your posting my sister. It is so amazing what God does through a person when we become that vessel for Him.

Renee said...

Amen, Desiray. God is so awesome and I thank Him for helping me to realize that we are those vessels for Him. He will not come any place He is not welcomed. He will not force Himself upon us which proves to us our commitment to Him. (By going to Him out of free will).

Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Salvation is a gift and we must share it with others. May God bless and keep you.