clean our hearts :)

so last week was pretty stressful. i wasn't feeling good about myself at all..
but this week has been sososo much better even though it's finals week. haha i'm so tired and drained but i've been happier :) finals week isn't too bad except for the whole not sleeping thing..

anyway, so last night/this early morning at around 4am, i was finally in my bed, about to go to sleep with my eyes almost closed.. when i jolted awake and realized that i hadn't read the Bible that day! lately, i've been reading everyday/night even if it's just a chapter or two because i promised myself and to God that i'd work harder to learn more about Him. so i forced my droopy eyes open and prayed and started to read.

first i read about the ark.
Exodus 25:
¹⁰ "Have them make a chest of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. ¹¹ Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.

then i read about the table and the lampstand.
³¹ "Make a lampstand of pure gold and hammer it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms shall be of one piece with it. ³² Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. ³³ Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand.

at first, i was like dang, what the heck. because starting from exodus 20 (the ten commandments), it was all about rules, regulations, consequences and then on top of that, He was talking about His specifications for the ark, table, lampstand, oil.

but then i thought about it and asked, "was God being picky??"

i don't think so!

if only we could be so careful and so meticulous when it comes to the places that "houses" His presence now. our body is a temple--He lives in us. if only we were more picky when it comes to what we allow in the same "room" as God.

but instead, we house habitual sin, unforgiveness, deceit in a place only meant for the presence of God! we hide these things in any little crevice in our hearts.

please forgive us for allowing these things take hold of us in a place reserved for You. but thank you for showing us grace that tells us You are not looking for perfection in us. while we know that we could never do enough, please grant us the courage to deal with these burdens..this JUNK in our hearts! may we be as meticulous as those ark/table workers. may we declutter our hearts to make more space for You, and become more aware of what we are allowing to grow within us..what we subject ourselves to.

i want to be picky! i want to be more aware and conscious of what i'm allowing to live within me.
MORE OF YOU! LESS OF ME!