Filling the void

Luke 11: 15 - 26

Jesus ends his teaching with a rather grim story about a vacant 'house' occupied by an evil spirit. This unclean spirit is removed from its 'home', which is then 'swept clean'. But the house owner, namely the person who has been cleansed neglects the task of filling the void. The empty house then attracts not only the original spirit but also seven more evil ones!!. Talk about uninvited and most unwelcome guests.

This serious reminder is relevant to any believer. It is not enough to banish evil thoughts and habits from our lives. Self help books can only take a person that far. We can help ourselves by seeking to rid our lives of the junk and baggage that has accumulated, but that is only half the solution. If we leave the heart vacant for any length of time, we would only be inviting unwelcome guests. We must seek to fill the void with God who is the source of all that is good, wholesome, true and life giving. There is a God shaped vacuum or void in our hearts that only God can fill in a satisfactory manner.

This is so simple a thought that we might miss its gravity. The daily devotional practices we choose will determine whether or not we fill this God shaped vacuum with the things that lead us to ever greater union with God. It is tempting to 'neglect' the pursuit of a deep prayer life........aren't we busy enough doing all the works of God? But even those good works ultimately do not fill the void. They do not substitute for spending time growing in prayer that gradually fills the void with God himself.