John 2:16: “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”
Jesus, your passion and zeal for the purity of the house of God is startling. Up to this point, your words have been intense and awe-inspiring but there hasn’t been one exclamation point. But you are angry here.
Do You feel the same way about the satanic squatters in my life? Do You feel angry and do You raise Your voice to the enemy of my soul when he defiles me with his merchandising? Will You tie a cord into a whip and drive the enemy out of my life to keep me pure? Hallelujah, yes, You will!
I am the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). Lord Jesus, I am so thankful that You fight for me to keep me pure and holy. You won’t let me become defiled by the world. Show me today how to partner with You to eradicate the vandals and remove the grafiti that they have left behind.
Lord, there are many areas in my heart that are still polluted by the enemy of my soul. Help me to remember that when You point them out, it’s not for my condemnation, but it’s Your zeal for my purification that wants the best for me working on my behalf. I am so grateful that Your zeal is FOR me – everyday, no matter what. You are always FOR me, and never against me. Your passionate love for me will not let the enemy get away with selling his wares in my soul!
Has the Lord been pointing out areas in your thinking or actions that don’t reflect His holiness and character? It can be hard in those seasons of challenge to remember that His zeal is for us and against the enemy. I have struggled with this often, so I encourage you to remind yourself that there is therefore now NO condemnation for you if you are in Christ (Rom. 8:1). So when the heat of his truth comes into your life, it’s for your purification – not judgment. The whip is never for you – it’s for the enemy that wants to torment you. Rejoice that your Savior has come to your rescue!
Cecily is a mother to one daughter and three sons and a step mother to two daughters. She is a native New Englander, who, while fairly-well traveled, has never lived anywhere outside of New England. She loves the beach, the mountains, good food, and football (she’s been a BIG Patriot’s fan before it was cool to be one!). She loves to cook and you will most likely find her scanning PaleoOMG.com or Pinterest for her next recipe challenge. She is an avid fitness freak, indulging in Spin, Kickboxing, and Insanity classes along with running and working out at home.
But Cecily’s greatest passion is finding hidden treasures and bold Truth in God’s Word and teaching it in such a way that everyone can understand and remember what they heard. Nothing thrills her more than when someone comes up to her and says that they have been changed by something she taught (especially when they remember the message better than she does!). Cecily is a late bloomer in the blogosphere as she was very busy raising 6 children, volunteering in their schools, starting her career as an Executive Assistant, being the Worship and Arts director at her church and then recently taking the directorship of the Women’s Ministry. Life with 6 kids in a blended family posed more challenges than the Apollo 13 team had to face, and has given Cecily endless messages and potential blog posts! Cecily speaks at Women’s Conferences and at her church as a guest minister from time to time. Her husband John is a stalwart supporter of everything she does and is her greatest cheerleader. Now that the children are grown (they keep coming home, though!), Cecily has more time to write and speak about these wonderful life lessons regarding faith, blended family life, financial and marital challenges and the joys of watching God show off His faithfulness.
Women identify with Cecily because she has survived divorce, single-motherhood, being in the trenches blending a family, loving an addict, the stresses of ministry and marketplace jobs, and the life change of children growing up and becoming adults. Cecily has not only survived but thrived as a result of every difficult and unforeseen circumstance. She loves to boast about God’s faithfulness and the importance that her day-to-day, intimate relationship with Jesus has made through it all. She shares keys and practical steps that encourage women (and men!) to pursue the Lord for themselves and not sell their ability to hear from God short. Cecily’s favorite topics to talk and write about are Hearing God’s voice, Journaling for life, and Myth-busting.
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