(As a follow up exercise to a talk I gave at Meadowbrook on October 12, this is Part 4 of 7 meditations.)
Some time ago a friend of mine drove a winding road up a mountain. He and his wife were planning a picnic at a pristine lake and waterfall that provided a great view of the valley below.
Along the way this couple passed through a little town and crossed a putrid stream that was filled with debris, smelled of chemicals and was a nasty color of green on the surface. They looked at each other with scrunched up noses and lamented how awful the little stream had been polluted.
Continuing on their route they later came to a turn in the road and drove over a bridge that crossed a creek with rushing clear water but was sadly littered with pop bottles, cans, food wrappers and trash.
Finally my friends reached their destination and the drive was worth it. The lake, waterfall and view were delightful and inspired thoughts of God as Creator. After enjoying their picnic surrounded by pines and serenaded by birds they loaded the car to return home.
As they drove away they noticed the waters from the falls meandering down the mountain and after a couple of twists and turns in the road they realized a disturbing truth. The polluted waters they crossed on the way up the mountain were in fact the same pristine waters that had flowed from the falls at the top.
The farther away the waters got from the source the more putrid and impure.
The Apostle John disclosed that when a child of God lives in the love of God, that life of hope purifies him because God is pure (1 John 3:1-3). In other words, the closer you stay to the Source the more pure your life. To be pure is to be free of pollution.
The scriptures declare—
“The wisdom from above is first of all, pure.” James 3:17
“Wives, your husbands will be won over to the Lord by your pure and reverent life.” 1 Peter 3:1,2
“Older women are to teach younger women to be pure.” Titus 3:3-5
“Don’t let anyone look down upon you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in your purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
“Keep yourself pure.” 1 Timothy 5:22
Some time ago a friend of mine drove a winding road up a mountain. He and his wife were planning a picnic at a pristine lake and waterfall that provided a great view of the valley below.
Along the way this couple passed through a little town and crossed a putrid stream that was filled with debris, smelled of chemicals and was a nasty color of green on the surface. They looked at each other with scrunched up noses and lamented how awful the little stream had been polluted.
Continuing on their route they later came to a turn in the road and drove over a bridge that crossed a creek with rushing clear water but was sadly littered with pop bottles, cans, food wrappers and trash.
Finally my friends reached their destination and the drive was worth it. The lake, waterfall and view were delightful and inspired thoughts of God as Creator. After enjoying their picnic surrounded by pines and serenaded by birds they loaded the car to return home.
As they drove away they noticed the waters from the falls meandering down the mountain and after a couple of twists and turns in the road they realized a disturbing truth. The polluted waters they crossed on the way up the mountain were in fact the same pristine waters that had flowed from the falls at the top.
The farther away the waters got from the source the more putrid and impure.
The Apostle John disclosed that when a child of God lives in the love of God, that life of hope purifies him because God is pure (1 John 3:1-3). In other words, the closer you stay to the Source the more pure your life. To be pure is to be free of pollution.
The scriptures declare—
“The wisdom from above is first of all, pure.” James 3:17
“Wives, your husbands will be won over to the Lord by your pure and reverent life.” 1 Peter 3:1,2
“Older women are to teach younger women to be pure.” Titus 3:3-5
“Don’t let anyone look down upon you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in your purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
“Keep yourself pure.” 1 Timothy 5:22
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