Sealed for Service

A little crack – that’s all it was. But over a period of eight hours, that hardly perceptible space had a huge impact on my olfactory senses.

Phew! I tried to hold my breath upon entering the house after work. What was that awful smell? And why?

I clearly detected the strong scent of spoiling vegetables. It couldn’t be the trash. It was the middle of winter and the house wasn’t hot enough to produce that kind of pungent smell from one-day’s garbage.

The next obvious deduction was the refrigerator. Something made me really scrutinize the door seal. That’s when I saw that the suction of the seal wasn’t working probably and the door was open ever so slightly. From head-on I would never have seen that and would have assumed everything was fine. It was only because I directed my attention to the side that I saw the reason for the unpleasant fragrance in the kitchen.

And that little crack meant I had to throw away several items. All because of a little crack!

How is it that it’s often the small things that can make a big difference in our lives? Small sins, if left unchecked, will eventually leave gaping holes in our souls. If we don’t check and recheck the seal around our hearts, rottenness can enter in. Mix in a little time for that sin to marinate, and we have ourselves a nasty mess.

How do we keep a watch on our hearts and keep ourselves from spoiling? One really good way is to read God’s Word every day. We might not know what is in our hearts, but God does. Reading the Bible helps us to stay sealed in the Holy Spirit and away from the offensive odors of sin. Prayer too keeps us tightly suctioned so that we are held continually in the things of the Lord and not giving way to the air of other pleasures, our flesh, or the deception of the devil.

If you don’t know if that seal around your heart is getting loose or gaping, make this wonderful prayer from David your prayer today:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)