While one side of the world is trying to survive flooding, the harshness of drought affects other areas. When our water tanks hit bottom for the second time in three weeks, there were no reserves. The demand on water deliveries meant it was going to be many days before water could be delivered to us.
For those of you with tanks, you know the bottom of the tank is the dirtiest, and as the dirt stirs up, it is not a pretty sight when it comes out of the faucets. In fact, it is undrinkable. You cannot wash yourself in it or clean the dishes with it. All it is good for is watering the plants and flushing the toilet.
No reserves
Sometimes our minds are like this dirty water. When we run on no reserves, the dirt gets stirred up and creates a foggy mess that we cannot see clearly through. The messier it gets, the more it feels we are weighed down and overwhelmed by the so-called ‘silt in the water’.
Even when the water tanks are filled, without input from the natural source being rain, those tanks will eventually empty again and need to be refilled with clean, pure water.
This principle is also true with our minds. When we continually stir up the mud, focussing on negative thoughts, and when we forget to be refilled at the source– which brings cleansing, our minds become captive to the mud, the sludge and debris that we have allowed to exist there.
Cleansing of the mind
Jesus does not want our minds to be consumed with evil and negativity. He is the cleanser of our minds. Jesus is the living water.
In John chapter 4, Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman by a well and asked her to give him a drink, which she hesitated about because Jews and Samaritans did not associate with each other.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John chapter 4, verse 10)
What is this living water Jesus speaks of? In John chapter 4 verses 13-14 Jesus explains: “But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Keeping our thoughts captive
By taking every thought captive and allowing ourselves to be cleansed by God, we are being freed from the turmoil of destruction in our minds that is released by the devil.
‘We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.’ (2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 5)
The devil thrives on ruining everything that is good. He prides himself on evil and destruction. Just like Hurricane Irma, ripping through Texas and Florida, the devil loves to destroy whatever is in his path.
The only way we can stop the devil from destroying the good in our lives is keeping our eyes on things above. Psalm chapter 16, verse 8 reminds us of this, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Restoration of the soul
Anything that tempts us to do the wrong thing, anything that leaves us in distress or anger, these things are of the devil. James chapter 4 verse 7 tells us to, ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’
God is our living water. He restores our soul. He cleanses us from our brokenness.
When we feel ourselves being pulled down, we need to stop and look at whatever is doing it and remember that our God is bigger than our problems. We need to release our anger and frustrations, keep our thoughts captive, and daily renew our minds by keeping our focus on God.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” (Psalm chapter 23, verse 1-3)
Cartia Moore is a connoisseur of fine chocolate and a sword fighter, trained and skilled in the art of fencing. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Screen & Media Studies, and minoring in Drama and Creative Writing. Her focus is film, television and swordfighting sequences.
Cartia Moore’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/cartia-moore.html