He said, "Clean your house..."

Yesterday I prayed for inspiration, spiritual insight....something to write that would encourage, be meaningful and worth the precious time of anyone who reads my blog.  You know what the whisper of the Lord's voice said to me?  "Clean your house."  I knew what He meant--it was not a huge, earth-shaking spiritual truth, enlarged and imprinted upon my heart.  He meant, practically, "clean your house."  It was time to clean the bathrooms, vacuum, dust, and put clean sheets on the guest room bed.  His direction for me yesterday was to "step" (see my blog "Just a few more steps")  into the practical and be about my "home" making tasks.

And yesterday as I left my devotional and prayer time to fix breakfast, God spoke to me of the practical, and gave me my marching orders for the day.  I had things in mind that needed my attention but if I surrender my life to His purposes, I have to be willing to trust His wisdom and guidance each day.  Hence, yesterday I cleaned my house and cooked, and offered up a good hot meal to my Man--all what most people recognize as practical tasks.  I kept talking with the Lord about my blog, but He kept saying, "You can trust me for that".  So that's what I did.  I thought all day as I went about cleaning and cooking, "Okay, Lord, is this something to write about?".

This morning I continued reading  the story of Joseph's second ascension in Pharoah's kingdom of Egypt in my Daily Bible.  Lots of good stuff to learn in Joseph's life story.  From the spiritual of God given-dreams and interpretations to God-ordained power in a specific time in history... to practical wisdom, knowledge, and authority to develop a plan for Egypt to save the increased harvest during years of prosperity and make them available during the coming years of famine...to save not only his country but his family from that famine...spiritual meets practical, practical meets spiritual. And far above all that is this overriding truth....God is God of our world--personal and global, daily and eternal, practical and spiritual.

We really can't neglect either one.  They are intermingled, and in fact all is spiritual if our reality is God's kingdom now and for eternity.  Woven together just like the threads of the throw on our guest room bed--pull one thread and the whole country scene is marred--neglecting the practical in our life will eventually reflect badly on our spiritual walk, and vice versa.  The practical and spiritual are really one reality--they actually make a complete picture, just like the one on my throw.

This reality is a life-saver for me--housecleaning is not one of my favorite things to do. But as I went about it yesterday, looking, listening for and seeking my Lord in those tasks, the practicality of cleaning and cooking became a treasure hunt. I felt certain He would speak to me or at least bless me in my spirit for following his directions for my day. And, for those of you who either know or desire the sweet fellowship we can have with the Lord, let me tell you, I did find the treasure of that fellowship as I walked in obedience to the Lord's priority for my day. To have heard His voice in the morning, and known His fellowship all day--can words express the significance that that gives the "dailyness" of my life?

We have a God who is infinitely involved in our daily life--all spiritual and practical. We have a God who speaks to us!  We have a God who delights in us!  We have a God who directs our path!  We have a God who is a rewarder of our faith in Him! And He has given us a soul that above all things yearns for Him and finds it's purest happiness and joy in Him. 

Be encouraged with me...even the practical "housekeeping" of physical and spiritual life can be a treasure hunt of spiritual blessings as we walk with the Lord, Our God....and the phone is ringing as I finish this post....my daughter-in-law and son are on the way to the hospital...it is time for baby Colt to enter this world...I will be having overnight guests tonight....guess my Lord knew I needed to get the housed cleaned yesterday....isn't He wonderful!!  Talk to you later....time to see my new grandson!!