I shared this word last night at ATR and felt to share the full encounter. Even if for one person, to massage this truth into their heart. The Lord really helped me address some issues through it, so I pray that it also helps others.
I remember this conversation with Yeshua as we were hanging out one time.
He showed me a red plastic watering can. I love how He meets us in the simplicity of the everyday, with things that we can relate to. This particular watering can, was just like the one I used, when I would water the veggies and plants at the Cabin where I lived in England.
“Suppose you were to fill that with soil” He said.
Well that is just weird…I looked at Him wondering why on earth you would put dirt inside the watering can.
He smiled and continued,
“Suppose you were to fill it, perhaps, a quarter or even a half full of soil, and then the rest with fresh water? When you go to water the plants, what would happen?”
“Well, I’m pretty certain that it would go all yukky and muddy, in fact I bet it would clog up the spout completely!”
He smiled, so I continued, (seeing as I am such an expert on the mechanics of watering cans!)
“Because, if it is clogged with dirt then, when you direct that watering can, it would not flow as freely as if it would if it were just containing fresh water. In fact, it may not even flow at all, or if it does, it may not get to the exact spot that you were directing it to….” At that moment, revelation struck, and I exclaimed, “it could just make a big ineffective mess really”.
“YES! that’s correct” He said, “and likewise the flesh and man’s own desires and expectations can clog the flow of my Spirit that desires to flow through living vessels, to water the seedlings or the dry places that need it.”
The self-professed watering can expert, now stood a little bit convicted before the Gardener of the cosmos.
“Wow” (I was cringing inside).
“Yeah” He replied, although He said, it with no condemnation at all in His tone, just standing with me in agreement, like an old friend commenting on the weather.
I did not want to be clogged up, so prayed “Lord, tip that muck out of me, cleanse and wash me with Your Word”.
As I repented and asked Him to search my heart, I then began to see….what if we were to liken this watering can to our family and friends and work relationships?
If there is any trace of the mud of carnal ways, the clods of soil of past seasons and unhelpful things that we are holding onto, in fact, any kind of corrupted stuff in our vessel, then it is going to affect how we relate to people in a big way. It will also affect the sweet flow of Pure Spirit that He gave us to release and to sow life.
Psalm 97:11 says that “Light is sown for the Righteous, and joy (gladness) for the upright in heart”
I don’t know about you, but I’ll take that!
However, His sweet flow through us will be hindered, stopped up or misdirected in a mess if we do not get real and deal with the mud of the soul and flesh.
We don’t have to dive into the depths of introspection. The Spirit will highlight what it is that we need to recognize and deal with so that the unique and incredible new creation (kainos) expression that He created us to be, can function at its fullest potential. Lets be honest, how much more fearfully and wonderfully made are we compared to a watering can? Alot!
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. It is against principalities and powers. (Ephesians 6:11-12) They tempt and try to influence our flesh (which is our physical expression of the divine in the earth realm) to vie for a position that is not ordained.
The flesh in itself is not evil. YHWH made us and gave us flesh suits. He gave us holy desires, which the enemy tries to distort. YHWH gave us the ability to have flesh relationships here on earth and even to be one in flesh through marriage to demonsrate the mystical union of us with Himself. But the flesh and the soul also needs to be in its proper place. Which is in submission to Spirit, because when flesh is presumptious and prideful, it ends up getting in the way of the flowing of Spirit.
This is when we get into “muddy waters”. If our flesh and soulish issues are speaking louder than the Spirit in our lives, then the flow is stopped altogether.
This is also where the dry places in our relationships, the places that truly need His Spirit more than ever, can get missed out. We may not have even realised the implications, because all we could see was our need to be right about something and to (somewhat self righteously) prove that.
But, through humility…the ability to say “Yep, I was wrong, I should not have said/done that thing…” Through being honest with ourselves, with our spouses, with our relationships and most importantly being honest with God who searches our hearts.
Through humility, the getting past of our Self-obsessed focus and seeing HIM in His perfection…we can begin to see our vessels cleansed and free flowing.
As we yield our own opinions, unforgiveness, judgements, bitterness, habitual sins, or whatever snares that we have been entangled in, to Him. He tips it out like the soil in the watering can and deals with it. It is not a complicated 10 step process; it is the power of His Salvation! All of our junk can be consumed, absorbed into the Full provision of the Cross. The place where the Gardener of the Cosmos…and the human heart, gave Himself for us and every yukky thing we have ever done.
For the most powerful transaction takes place within His wounds that He bore for us more than 2000 years ago. The crown of thorns rammed into His compassionate brow that had already sweated beads of blood in intercession for us. The whelts screaming for our healing were laid on His back. The chunks of His beard that were so cruelly ripped out, the humiliation of having His face disfigured and “marred more than any other man” Isaiah 52:14 Just as many were astonished at you my people so His appearance was marred more than any other man and His form more than the sons of men”. The mocking spit that landed on those darling cheeks. Those hands and feet that walked the earth and welcomed humanity pierced for our transgressions. His beating heart that yearns for His Bride, pierced to make a doorway for us to be revealeld as one with Him.
So in this sweet place of His perfection, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth, in the midst of His wounds I will end this.
It is Finished
-Milly Bennitt Young