Holes…
I don't know if I mentioned, but we have a Pepé Le Pew. He has been quite the menace. He likes Sunny's food. Between Pepé and the neighbor's dog, we have resorted to simply feeding the cat when we are home. If the cat doesn't complete his breakfast or dinner, we bring the food in and give it back to him when we get home. Sunny isn't exactly happy with this arrangement. He will sit in my swing, watch Pepé move about below him and seems unconcerned by the smell or the pesky food thief. He knows there will be more. My husband has filled the skunk's hole under the house with rocks. The skunk will move the rocks and dig back under. My husband will put concrete in the hole, Pepé moves over and digs another hole. My husband brought home a trap, the skunk won't go in it, simply goes to the nearest area adjacent to his hole, and digs another. It seems no matter what my husband does to deter this smelly creature, Pepé is not dissuaded. Simply put, the skunk thinks he is staying.
No matter how many times we try to fill the holes in our lives, our efforts are not enough. The hole gets bigger, the pain, emptiness, sin, or lonliness just opens the hole wider. Haggai 1:6 says, "Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes." I know Haggai was speaking to those who were tasked with rebuilding the temple; however, this applies to the pursuit of material possessions as well. This also applies to the endless pursuit of seeking solutions ourselves instead of going to the One who can fill the holes within us. Psalm 42:1-2, 1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" When we try to fill our holes with anything and everything, it is not enough. We try to control and find solutions for all the issues that we see as the reasons for our metaphorical "holes" only to find our attempts are futile. It is never enough.
During our recent Women's Bible Study, the speaker referred to letting Jesus fill the holes in our souls. I understand those holes. My big hole is self-worth. I also know what fills and heals my soul. Jesus. You see the more I pour him into my hole, the more I am washed clean. I used the illustration of putting dish soap and water in a dirty bowl. I put in the soap, add some water, but I let it run as I'm washing the dish. The more water enters the bowl, the soap begins to run over the top. Soon all the soap is gone along with it the dirt and food from the bowl. The water runs clean into a clean bowl. When I pour Jesus into my hole, he washes away the dirt and sin. He runs clean within me. He fills me with His living water, His goodness and mercy. My cup overflows with joy. It is hard to think of myself, when I am filled with Him. It is hard to think about my worth, when I have His cleansing. And, it is hard to see my lonliness, the more I seek His presence. Psalm 107:9, "For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things."
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