Guess there's a lot in my spirit today...come and rest...

WHY THE BOX MUST BE BROKEN...

The bible tells of the pure spikenard. God purposely used this term "pure" in His Word to show that it is truly spiritual. But if the albaster box is not broken, the pure spikenard will not flow forth.
Strange to say, many are still treasuring the alabaster box, thinking that its value exceeds that of the ointment. Many think that their outward man is more precious than their inward man. This is problematic in the church.
One will treasure his cleverness, thinking he is quite important, another will treasure his own emotions, esteeming himself as an important person; others highly regard themselves, feeling they are better than others, there eloquence of speech surpasses that of others, their quickness of action, discernment, giftedness are superior, and so forth. However, we are not antique collectors; we are not vase admirers; we are those who desire to smell only the fragrance of the ointment.
Without the breaking of the outward, the inward will not come forth. So, individually we have no flowing out, and the church doesn't have a 'living way'.
Why then should we hold ourselves as so precious, if our outward man contains, instead of releases, the fragrance?
The Holy Spirit has not ceased working. One event after another, one thing after another, comes to us. Each disciplinary working of the Holy Spirit has but one purpose: to break our outward man so that our inward man may come through.
Yet here is the difficulty: We fret over offenses, trifle things, we murmur at small losses. The Lord is preparing a way to use us , yet scarcely has His hand touched us when we feel unhappy, even to the extent of quarrelling with God and becoming negative in our attitude.
Since being saved, we have been touched many times in various ways by the Lord, all with the purpose of breaking our outward man. Whether we are conscious of it or not, the aim of the Lord is to break this outward man.
So the Treasure is in the earthen vessel, but if the earthen vessel is not broken, who can see the treasure within? What is the final objective of the Lord's working in our lives?
It is to break this earthen vessel, to break our alabaster box, to crack open our shell. The Lord longs to find a way to bless the world through those who belong to HIM. Brokeness is is the way of blessing, the way of fragrance, the way of fruitfullness*, but it is also a path sprinkled with blood. Yes, there is blood from many wounds.
When we offer ourselves to the Lord to be at His service, we cannot afford to be lenient, to spare ourselves. We must allow the Lord utterly to crack our hardness, our shells, the outward man so that He may find a way for His working to come forth.
We can preach by using our mind' we can stir others by using our emotions, yet, if we do not know how to use the Spirit of God within us, the Spirit of God cannot touch people through us. The loss is great, and is greivous, prolonging time...God's time.
Therefore, if we have never consecrated ourselves to God, let us do so now. Say, "Lord, for the future of the church, for the future of the gospel, for Your way, and also for my own life, I offer myself into your hands. Lord, I delight to offer myself to You and am willing to let You have Your full way in through me."
Let us prepare for the breaking of the box and the release of HIS fragrance within.

In, through and to HIM...Deborha

* In my initial entry I expressed I would give more insight into my statement that the seed is in the fruit. I think this is it! The flesh of the fruit is sweet, but the seed itself comes forth from the fruit. It's outer surface has to be broken to allow a shoot to come. Be blessed...