by Kelly Dixon
Reading: Luke 21
And so I begin . . .
I begin this writing with a tremendous writer’s block. As it is obvious to those who follow our Ladies for Jesus devotionals, I have not posted to the site in quite a while. I have been unable to surface something to write. Unable to identify what it is the Lord wants me to write in regards to the next lesson on being Holy Spirit led. I have been in constant prayer and search of the Scriptures and nothing. I searched diligently for the Father’s guidance and He has led me through many personal lessons, but nothing that He has told me to write about. I have been waiting patiently for Him to tell me where to go next in these lessons about being Holy Spirit led; and, finally today, He told me to start writing about nothing.
This may seem ridiculous to you. For why would the Lord tell me to write about nothing? As I begin this writing I know that I am submitting to Him emptied of all the world has to offer and waiting patiently . . .
It is now the next day and . . .
It is now the next day and . . .
. . . the Lord spoke to my heart asking me to read Luke 21. This chapter begins with the widow who gives the two mites which is all that she had to live on. In this story I envision Jesus walking around with the disciples as my husband and I did with our children at the live nativity in Monticello, FL this past Christmas. We walked around and at each station we answered their questions and expounded upon what we observed. Jesus observes the lady placing the two mites in the temple treasury and because He was completely divine as well as human, He knew that it was all she had to live on. I knew this was a lesson for me to come to Him with just the little bit that I had and He would be pleased. As I do on a regular basis, I offered myself to His service but this time it was different. My offering was not based on the fact that I knew He had given me gifts and I must use them for His glory. I was offering because my soul was crying out to Him with nothing to offer – no preconceived ideas of what He wanted me to write about; no standard ways of doing things; no organization to my thoughts – yet still I wanted to serve Him. Even before I knew the slightest bit about the service He would call me to do, I wanted to serve. I recognized that He had emptied my vessel so that His Spirit could be prevalent.
So as an empty vessel I began to search the rest of Luke 21 because I believe that when the Holy Spirit sends me to a specific stated Scripture, I should read that Scripture in its fullness. With an open heart and searching mind, I diligently read the rest of the chapter and the lesson that came from verse 34 was quite an eye opener. This verse states:
After reading this verse, it was as if God put His brakes on and said back up read again and pay attention to what I have said. So diligently I searched through asking the Lord to reveal to me my heart and how it was being hindered in growing closer to Him. I crossed out the drunkenness part, since I do not drink alcohol and, therefore, do not participate in such things. Then anxieties of life – I certainly struggle from time to time, but I wasn't feeling the Lord speak to me about that at this present time. And then it was like the Lord patiently asked me to begin reading the passage again. That is when I saw what I was missing. “Be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation . . .” Dissipation - was the Lord stating that I was doing this? Certainly not! This was the NIV version so I searched other translations that made me think I was in the clear – carousing (NKJ); partying (NLT); surfeiting (KJV). But the Lord kept taking me back to that word and I couldn’t get it from my mind. Finally, I began to search the Bible dictionary and the Webster dictionary about the word. When doing so I discovered what the Lord was trying to tell me. The definitions that spoke the most were . . .
I was wasting the valuable time that God had given me and expending energy on things that were not beneficial to His kingdom. What is worse – I thought I was doing good!! I thought I was in the middle of God’s Will doing as He wanted me to do. I had no idea until He emptied my vessel that I was wasting time and being distracted from His work.
To be Holy Spirit led, we must come to the Father as empty vessels and allow Him to show us where we are not benefiting His kingdom. We must not deceive ourselves to think that because we are doing His work that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in a maximum manner. The Lord wants us to constantly empty ourselves to Him, humble ourselves in His presence, and allow His Spirit to work through us. This is certainly a lesson I will never forget and I pray that you have grown with me by reading this today -- for I had nothing to say, but the Lord had plenty!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for wasting the time You have given me. Thank You for the lessons You give me in life that bring to the surface how I have not allowed Your Holy Spirit to work in my life. Guide me daily to empty my vessel so I can present myself to You for service to the fullest! It is through Your Son Jesus that I come. Amen.
Journal / Ponder: Where have you been wasting the time the Lord has given you? Are you presenting yourself daily to Him as an empty vessel waiting for Him to show you the work He has for His kingdom? Write down your experiences with God over the last week. Do you feel His Spirit has been moving in and through you? If so, expand upon your thoughts. If not, why not?
So as an empty vessel I began to search the rest of Luke 21 because I believe that when the Holy Spirit sends me to a specific stated Scripture, I should read that Scripture in its fullness. With an open heart and searching mind, I diligently read the rest of the chapter and the lesson that came from verse 34 was quite an eye opener. This verse states:
"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap."
After reading this verse, it was as if God put His brakes on and said back up read again and pay attention to what I have said. So diligently I searched through asking the Lord to reveal to me my heart and how it was being hindered in growing closer to Him. I crossed out the drunkenness part, since I do not drink alcohol and, therefore, do not participate in such things. Then anxieties of life – I certainly struggle from time to time, but I wasn't feeling the Lord speak to me about that at this present time. And then it was like the Lord patiently asked me to begin reading the passage again. That is when I saw what I was missing. “Be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation . . .” Dissipation - was the Lord stating that I was doing this? Certainly not! This was the NIV version so I searched other translations that made me think I was in the clear – carousing (NKJ); partying (NLT); surfeiting (KJV). But the Lord kept taking me back to that word and I couldn’t get it from my mind. Finally, I began to search the Bible dictionary and the Webster dictionary about the word. When doing so I discovered what the Lord was trying to tell me. The definitions that spoke the most were . . .
1 A trifle which wastes time or distracts attention.
2 a process in which energy is used or lost without accomplishing useful work,
I was wasting the valuable time that God had given me and expending energy on things that were not beneficial to His kingdom. What is worse – I thought I was doing good!! I thought I was in the middle of God’s Will doing as He wanted me to do. I had no idea until He emptied my vessel that I was wasting time and being distracted from His work.
To be Holy Spirit led, we must come to the Father as empty vessels and allow Him to show us where we are not benefiting His kingdom. We must not deceive ourselves to think that because we are doing His work that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in a maximum manner. The Lord wants us to constantly empty ourselves to Him, humble ourselves in His presence, and allow His Spirit to work through us. This is certainly a lesson I will never forget and I pray that you have grown with me by reading this today -- for I had nothing to say, but the Lord had plenty!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for wasting the time You have given me. Thank You for the lessons You give me in life that bring to the surface how I have not allowed Your Holy Spirit to work in my life. Guide me daily to empty my vessel so I can present myself to You for service to the fullest! It is through Your Son Jesus that I come. Amen.
Journal / Ponder: Where have you been wasting the time the Lord has given you? Are you presenting yourself daily to Him as an empty vessel waiting for Him to show you the work He has for His kingdom? Write down your experiences with God over the last week. Do you feel His Spirit has been moving in and through you? If so, expand upon your thoughts. If not, why not?
