A Clean Sweep

But there was a man named Ananias (with his wife Sapphira) who sold some property, and brought only part of the money, claiming it was the full price. (His wife had agreed to this deception.) Acts 5:1-2 TLB

Good Morning Girlfriends:

Going back seventeen years ago this month, my five bedroom home had caught fire causing my children and I to lose all of our possessions that we had collected for nearly all of our lives. After being taken to the hospital for a check-up, I remember saying to my mother that God must have something better for me. It wasn't until many years had passed that I had realized, God had removed many things that had been a part of my past, such as old pictures from other relationships, failed marriages, old memories that needed to be swept out of my life.

It's hard to believe that it was twelve years later within a one year span, again another sweep had taken place when my husband had passed away. I had been let go from my place of work, and the trucking company that my husband had set up had to be shut down because I didn't know how to run a trucking company on my own, plus it wasn't what God had called me to do. How does a person recover from all of that...I am so thankful I had the Lord on my side. Again I remember saying that God must have something else for me even though I didn't know what it was or how He was going to do it, I just knew that He was.

Our key verse tells us that Ananias and his wife had sold their property in order to help out people who were in need, but they only brought forth a portion of the money from the sale, keeping some for themselves. They thought that no one would ever know the difference if they didn't give everything they made from the sale, but God did. Isn't that just like us sometimes when we have gone through much hurt or disappointment in life, we tend to hang onto a portion of it, not giving it all over to God. The funny thing about it is, we may be fooling people all around us, but we are not fooling God because He sees everything and knows everything about us.

Psalm 139 tells us so clearly as it says, "Lord, you have examined me and know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know everything I do. Lord, even before I say a word, you already know it. You are all around me, in front and in back and have put your hand on me. Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand. Where can I go to get away from your spirit? Where can I run from You? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the grave, you are there. If I rise with the sun in the east and settle in the west beyond the sea, even there you would guide me. With your right hand you would hold me. I could say, "The darkness will hide me. Let the light around me turn into night." But even the darkness is not dark to you. The night is as light as the day; darkness and light are the same to you. You made my whole being; you formed me in my mother's body. I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother's body. When I was put together there, you saw my body as it was formed. All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was only one day old. God, your thoughts are precious to me. They are so many! If I could count them, they would be more than all the grains of sand. When I wake up I am still with you. God, I wish you would kill the wicked! Get away from me, you murders! They say evil things about you. Your enemies use your name thoughtlessly. Lord, I hate those who hate you; I hate those who rise up against you. I feel only hate for them; they are my enemies. God, examine me and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thought. See if there is any bad thing in me. Lead me on the road to everlasting life.

Wow, girlfriend, God knows everything about everything, He doesn't miss a thing, so why wouldn't he know if we haven't given Him our everything. This is a brand new year, and if we do not want to have another year like the last one we have just come out of, then we had better be honest with ourselves and let the rest of the things go that we may have been holding onto. Only you know what that one thing may be, why not let God finish doing a clean sweep in your heart as you give it over to Him as you walk into this new year clean, free, because who the Son sets free is free indeed, John 8:36. God wants us all to walk in this new year totally set free of any held onto bondage of unforgiveness, bitterness, disappointment, anger, resentment, failure, give it all over to the one and only one who can totally heal, deliver and set free and His name is Jesus, Amen!

Let's Pray,

Father God, I want to thank you for a brand new year. Great and marvelous are You and worthy You are to be praised. I come in to this new year with thanksgiving in my heart knowing that you were with me through this last year and You are with me in this new year. Lord, I lift up everyone here today that may have had a great last year and those who may not have had a good year. Lord, I am believing for each one this year, a year of freedom as they surrender every part of their life over to You. Lord I am believing that you will do a gentle sweep in their heart of all the things that they have been holding onto as they have had it hidden in the back corner of their heart. Lord You and only You can and will do a gentle sweep of things and these things will be removed and thrown away as dust as it is all surrendered over. Lord I know that You will rush right in to fill up those spots in their heart with all of the love that only You can give. Father I thank you for a brand new year for each one who has given it all to You. Lord may Your face shine upon them throughout this new year with favor that follows them all the days of their life. Lord I speak blessings over them as they walk in the new year, that wherever they go they will be blessed. Lord, You are a good good father and blessings and favor will follow us each and every day, we will see it around every corner and I thank you in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

Be blessed sweet ones and pass the blessings on to others. Happy New Year!