The ‘Kosher’ Room

Scripture: 

Nehamiah 13:8  ‘I was very upset and threw out all of his belongings from the room’.

Observation:

The Holy spring clean.  The uninvited one who was not welcome to reside in the room, was evicted ‘on his ear’ so to speak.  The room was set aside for God’s holy purpose - a store room for precious items of tithes and offerings, was defiled by an unauthorised person.  Tobiah was one of a group of men who had plotted to kill Nehemiah and discredit his position.  He had no authority to be residing in God’s Temple.  The act of throwing out Tobiah’s belongings in the state of emotion by Nehemiah was justified.  The demand of cleaning the room thoroughly and return the goods back into the room was right – to restore what was defiled.

Application:

I live in a nice house – but at times my daughter’s bedroom needs me to be upset (and justifiably so) and in turn the action of emptying out the contents in order to see the floor and walls again.  It needs to be cleaned up and return what is ‘kosher’.   Not all things that were thrown out of the room would be fit for anyone’s use, but someone with a discerning eye had to do the sifting and keep the good and turf the bad.

 

My walk with God is similar.  I need to keep my life ‘kosher’, keeping a check on what God desires.  My sacrifice of praise, my heart attitude, my love and desire to be near Him, and obedience.  All else needs to be turfed – I need to remove selfishness and self-promotion.  There’s no room for self in His house – where I reside.

Prayer:

 Lord,  Thank you that you have invited me into your temple where I have a place to reside.  All I have is there – my offerings - and I am here to bring you glory, praise and honour.  As I keep this place clean, may you reside with me.   Amen

 

Terry B