Five years ago, I had an encounter with the Lord where I saw him knock on the door of his bride’s heart, and when she opened it to answer him— he saw that it was too cluttered to come in. To my surprise, her heart wasn’t cluttered with carnal things but rather what we’d call spiritual things. There were books, binders, papers, and journals filled with teaching notes and materials. There were many calendars that spanned years of days marked with meetings, conferences, etc. There were spiritual tools such as flags, shofars, prayer shawls, and more.
His bride was surrounded by spiritual things, but there was no room left for Jesus to enter.
In this visionary encounter, the Lord asked her if she was willing to make room for him, and she eagerly responded with her, “Yes.” She asked him, “What do you want me to remove to make room for you to enter?” He answered her by saying, “Remove it all.”
She was baffled by this because all of these things were good, but her many possessions “about him” had left no room for him.
It took a long time to clear it all— for these things had deep attachments within her heart and mind. When the process was done, she stood in the empty room (of her heart) and felt a chill and a sense of loss because she had become so accustomed to being surrounded by all of the things that represented her spiritual life.
Then she looked at the door where Jesus was waiting, and she asked him to come in. He entered, bringing with him a small wooden table, two chairs, a cup of wine, and some unleavened bread.
He said, “This is all you need.” He placed the cup and the bread on the small table, then proceeded to sit in a chair at the table. As he sat down, he invited her to join him.
That was the end of the visionary encounter, but it was the beginning of a process of God clearing out my heart. It needed to be emptied of all the “things” that had cluttered it so that he could come in and commune with me.
Though I believe that the vision was for more than me— I had to first allow the Lord to do it in me. I had no idea how cluttered my heart had become. And I had no idea how much it was robbing from me.
It has been five years of being emptied. Five years of removing one thing after another. Five years of realizing that my identity was attached to many of these things— true things, but still just things. All of the clutter had the potential of becoming idols because they were displacing him for things that made me feel like a good Christian. The many things about him could not fill what only he could fill.
In my vision, Jesus was not upset about his bride’s longing to know him more or to be involved with so many things, but they were taking up room that he was jealous to inhabit. What began as sincerely wanting to know him and do what was right became more about following a blueprint of what I felt people wanted me to do or possess.
For each of us, the clutter may be different than for another, but there is an invitation to make room for “Christ in us” to become what fills our hearts.
This vision isn’t intended to tell anyone to throw out all of your Christian materials because it wasn’t about that— it was about the state of the bride’s heart. It was speaking of the clutter that was robbing her of the simplicity of pure devotion to him. For me, it was about understanding that seeking him first was to put him first— not putting all the lists of “things to do for him” first.
I needed to be completely emptied and then allow Christ alone to fill my heart. I needed to return to my first love.
I especially needed to be emptied of those things that defined my spiritual identity more than Christ himself and his deep longing to commune with me.
Quite honestly, it’s been a spiritually hard five years. My mind had a very hard time understanding what the Lord was doing or if it was actually him doing it. I wrestled more than I’ve ever wrestled in my life.
Being emptied can feel like loss and going backwards, but his end desire has been to simplify my life by being filled by the truth that comes from the crucifixion and resurrection. I am having to return to the grace by which I was saved because that is where I began.
But I am afraid that, even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted and led away from the simplicity of your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3
This is one of the verses that helped to bring me understanding of what was happening and that Jesus was bringing me back to the simplicity of my sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
May we clear the room and allow the simplicity of Christ to bring us back to the place of pure and sincere love and devotion to him. May it restore in our hearts his deep desire for us. May the truth of the cross and his resurrection that gave us new life burn again in us. And, as he finds room in our hearts, I believe the grace that we once knew will also fill our hearts and bring peace.
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This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Inscribe Ministries
Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
