We have had a very dry summer in the UK. As a result the grass turned brown and the dirt was hard and dusty. It affectfed my car windows. One day I got in the car, noticing right away the thin layer of dust across the windows. I pulled out onto the road and into the direction of the sun. Its glare plus the dirty windows made seeing clearly a real nuisance. I could see well enough to keep driving, but the condition of the windows irritated me. I had already attempted using my car’s window wash, but to add to the annoyance of dirty windows, the window wash was empty. Therefore, my windshield wipers swished across dry dust. The result was not a pretty sight. I have to admit that for days I told myself to fill up the window wash. I had a full container in the garage, but I would put it off and put it off, enduring the irritation of dirty windows when I didn’t have to do so.
Reflecting on the above, it occured to me that we have all done this in our spirital worlds — putting up with dirty windows day after day after day when it is easily remedied. We endure all manner of difficulties in our lives: grief, relationship strains, financial troubles, a sense of no direction. Our heart’s windows to see peace and joy becomes obscured by these daily torments. We let sorrrow overcome and worries pile high. We know to take time to come before the Lord, basking in the quiet beauty of His presence, pouring out what pains us, listening with ready hearts to hear that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit pointing out the way to go. Even so, like me procrastinating filling up my car’s window wash, we put off handing over our burdens to the Lord. We tell ouselves we’ll do it later, but later the windows are still filthy with irritations and worry.
Cleaning our windows takes time, but oh, the joy that results when we can finally sense our Father’s love again. At last peace fills us as we take our burdens to Jesus and leave them at His feet. When we take the neccessary time to worship Him and praise Him for His goodness to us, courage fills our faltering hearts as we repent of our procrastination to have done the right thinig in the first place. Cleaning our heart’s windows of its discouraging debris that has collected there, obscurrig our view of the Holy Spirit’s reminders written into our thoughts, is a most joyous thing to have done.
Windows of my car need at least weekly cleaning, but cleaning the windows of our hearts needs to be a daily exercise that always makes the way forward to be one of peace and joy and faith in the One Who never fails us. Read and meditate on these promies below and go forth with clean windows.
Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall (Psalm 55:22 NLT).
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along (Psalm 40:1-2 NLT)