Have you ever felt like a glass emptied of its last drop, yearning to be filled with something that truly quenches your thirst? Join me as I walk you through the valleys of my own emptiness, where life's trials have left me parched for renewal. In the intimate atmosphere of this episode, I bear my soul about the house troubles that have shaken my sanctuary and the health concerns that have tested my resilience. Drawing from the profound scriptures of Ephesians and Isaiah, we'll unravel how God's unyielding power becomes our sustenance when we're at our most depleted. Through prayer and faith, we'll discover how the divine presence of Jesus teaches us to see emptiness not as nothingness but as a sacred space for transformation.
As we navigate the narrative of becoming spiritually fulfilled through the embrace of emptiness, we come to appreciate the paradox that voids are in fact vessels waiting to be filled with God's mighty works. This episode is not just a recount of tough times; it's a testament to the astounding growth that emerges from releasing our grasp on the 'bad stuff', making room for a divine infilling. We'll close our eyes and lean into the soothing passages of Matthew 11:28-30, finding rest for our souls in the promise of Jesus's gentle yoke. Let's open our hearts together in a conversation that culminates with a communal prayer, seeking patience and strength in the perfect timing of the Lord.
Have you ever felt like a glass emptied of its last drop, yearning to be filled with something that truly quenches your thirst? Join me as I walk you through the valleys of my own emptiness, where life's trials have left me parched for renewal. In the intimate atmosphere of this episode, I bear my soul about the house troubles that have shaken my sanctuary and the health concerns that have tested my resilience. Drawing from the profound scriptures of Ephesians and Isaiah, we'll unravel how God's unyielding power becomes our sustenance when we're at our most depleted. Through prayer and faith, we'll discover how the divine presence of Jesus teaches us to see emptiness not as nothingness but as a sacred space for transformation.
As we navigate the narrative of becoming spiritually fulfilled through the embrace of emptiness, we come to appreciate the paradox that voids are in fact vessels waiting to be filled with God's mighty works. This episode is not just a recount of tough times; it's a testament to the astounding growth that emerges from releasing our grasp on the 'bad stuff', making room for a divine infilling. We'll close our eyes and lean into the soothing passages of Matthew 11:28-30, finding rest for our souls in the promise of Jesus's gentle yoke. Let's open our hearts together in a conversation that culminates with a communal prayer, seeking patience and strength in the perfect timing of the Lord.
My website is https://www.godslovingsacrifice.com
Speaker 1:
Today I'm empty. I thought all day what am I going to talk about? What am I going to say? I thought all week about it, but there was nothing. It just felt so empty. I mean, the Holy Spirit normally shows me what I need to talk about nothing. And I kept thinking about how empty I felt when I didn't know what to do about it. Pray, of course, but to have nothing, to hear nothing, to not understand why I'm not hearing or why I'm Don't know what to say. Then I decided maybe that's what God wanted me to talk about.
Speaker 1:
How many times do you feel empty? Do you feel like God has kind of just left you alone for a while to make it on your own? We all know that's not true. He never leaves us for sexes but sometimes I think we need to be emptied out. Sometimes I think all the things that are going on around us, all the worries, the work, kids and grandkids and houses and problems, it just needs to be emptied out until there's nothing left.
Speaker 1:
In a sermon, dl Moody, which is the white Moody, held up a glass and asked how can I get the air out of this glass? One man shouted Suck it out with a pump. Moody replied that would cause a vacuum and the glass would break. And several other people told him how to get the air out of the glass and all of a sudden Moody smiled and took out a pitcher of water and filled the glass. There he said All the air is removed now, and this is not what God says he'll do. He'll fill us up and maybe we need to be emptied out every once in a while so God can fill us with what he needs us to be filled with. So many times we get so many things on our mind, like right now. I'm going through a problem with my house. I had some water damage and it's just been one battle after another, and I had cataract surgery on both of my eyes and my back went out and it just seemed like I was exhausted. I had been through all that. I felt that I could go through and I think God waited for me to empty all of that out of my life.
Speaker 1:
Ephesians 3, 14 through 21 says For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from who the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the width and the length and the depth and the height. To know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge. That you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him, who is able to do exceedingly abundantly. Above all, we ask or think according to the power that works in us. To Him be the glory in the church. By Jesus Christ to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. According to the power that works in us.
Speaker 1:
Funny, when I started this, I felt very empty. When I read that, according to the power that works in us, I realized that I have all the power and all the strength that I need to make it through every day because Christ gives it to me. But I was so empty it was really bothering me. I thought about talking about prayer and I was talking to my son, which you know helps me with my podcast, and we talked about it for a while and I said prayer is not it. So we talked about faith for a while and faith, wasn't it? And the only thing I could say to Him I just feel empty. How many times have you just felt empty?
Speaker 1:
A lot of people, when they just feel empty, turn to the wrong things. They turn to sin, they turn to alcohol, they turn to drugs. But we have a God who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask. And when we're empty, we have to allow Him to fill us up. And how does he do that? Well, through prayer, which is one of the things we talked about, through faith, which is another one of the things that we talked about, and through realizing the power that God has given us already. You know, I felt like that glass of water. I felt like I was totally empty and the only thing in me was air. But that water that fills me is the water that Jesus Christ gives, that water where we'll never thirst. He is so precious and so constant. He is a constant friend, he's a constant guide. And when we forget those things, when we get so wrapped up in the things going on around us, maybe we do need to be emptied. Maybe all the bad needs to be emptied out so God can put in all his good. You know.
Speaker 1:
Isaiah 40, 28, 31 is a scripture that I absolutely love and I know that a lot of you know this scripture, at least the 31. And this is one that my son quoted to me while we were talking and I told him I was empty, and he says now you got that song on my mind because there is a song that is sung with this. But it says have you not known, have you not heard the everlasting God? The Lord, the creators of the ends of the earth, never faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might. He increases their strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. And in the song there's a couple of words that go after that, and it is my prayer today Teach me Lord. Teach me, lord to wait. And we need to wait on him. We get so busy trying to fix all the problems around us that we forget he's the one that. He's our fixer, he's the one that cares for us. He's the one that takes care of it. He's the one that gives us our strength to make it through those things. So why are we so busy trying to solve the problems when we can give it to him?
Speaker 1:
My daughter got me a sign from my bedroom and it's of a woman laying there with her head down and it says give it to God, then go to sleep. And you know, sleep is one of the hardest things for me. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I start thinking what do I have to do tomorrow? What am I going to do? What's my podcast going to be about? Is there anybody listening? I don't know what my work's going to be. I've got to go take care of my neighbors. I've got to do this. I've got to do that. I think I'm going to rearrange my room. This is the way I want to rearrange it Now, all that's going through my head, with a sign right above me that says give it to God and then go to sleep. I've yet to do that, but I have to thank my daughter for giving me that to remind me Empty that's a sad word, being empty, but does it have to be a sad word?
Speaker 1:
Does it have to be a bad situation to be empty? Can being empty mean that God can give us more when we're empty, aren't there all kinds of possibilities of what God can do with us? When we're so full of everything around us I can't fit anymore in there. So maybe being empty is the place we need to be before God Empty, let Him fill us. You know, I don't know how long I've felt empty, because this whole week I haven't been able to think about what I was going to talk about. But to tell you how quickly he can fill you up is I read a verse in the Word of God according to the power that works in us, the power that works in us, god works in us, the Holy Spirit works in us, christ works in us.
Speaker 1:
The power that works in us. We have to empty out the bad stuff so God could fill us with His power and His might. I want to leave you with a scripture that Jesus talked about, and it is one that, when you're empty, maybe you should remember it, because it sure did help me when I remembered it, and it's Matthew 11, 28-30, and it says Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, when I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly and hard, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Thank you.
