By John O’Malley
1 Samuel 16:14: “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.”
Have you ever walked into a house without a single piece of furniture? Every room seems large without the usual articles that accompany a house. There is a lonely feeling to being in such a house where the owner no longer occupies. You look at it and say, “Something doesn’t look right.”
Saul is undoubtedly a house without furniture. You walk into his life through the pages of Scripture and see no furniture. “Something is not right here,” you say. Yes, it is a house, but it doesn’t look right. You get a feeling of empty loneliness when you look at him. The owner’s belongings have been removed from the premises.
Sad is the day when our sinful choices evict the Spirit of the Lord’s communion with us. The Scripture says, “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul.” The Spirit of the Lord was there no longer. He left. How empty the house of Saul’s life became! Today, in our churches, both in the pew and the pulpit, I have seen empty “houses of the heart” in believers. The believer’s “house of the heart” is no longer filled with the Lord’s Spirit. Many go through the spiritual motions, but they are empty personally. No wonder churches gathering for worship in the Lord’s house are empty corporately. There seems to be contentment with the emptiness.
Is the house of your heart empty today? Does the emptiness no longer plague you? Turn to Him. Evict every obstinate way from your heart and seek a fresh filling today of His presence!
John O’Malley
If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.