THERE IS AN old, abandoned Victorian house in Tifton, Georgia. It’s filled with thousands of bats. Tift County declared the once-elegant house in the town’s historic district off limits after a bat specialist said that maybe 20,000 bats had moved in, apparently for good.
Locals call it “the bat house.” People talk about the smell, which is an unholy mix of animal urine and decaying wood. “In the summer, ooh, does that place reek,” said Linda Turner, 69, a retired nurse and neighbor. “You ain’t smelled nothing until you come back here on a hot day.”
I’m not going to visit that bat house. WHAT A SIGHT AND WHAT A STINK IT MUST BE! Vacant houses get infiltrated with all kinds of creatures and probably not just bats. And many of these creatures make a mess, create a big stink, and eventually ruin that dwelling.
But it doesn’t just happen with vacant houses, it also happens with vacant hearts! If a person doesn’t fill their life with good stuff, the bad stuff and sometimes, the evil stuff will move in and take over (cf. Mat. 12:43-45).
- What’s going on in your house/heart?
- Who has moved in?
- Who has taken over your residence and controlling your life? God wants us to stay clean in this world and that will only happen when we let Him move in, that is, when we fill our lives with worship, prayer and service. Steve Shepherd
“Thy word have I hide in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11.
“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike
INCARNATE 