Did you say you have "spiritual diarrhea?"

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."   Matthew 7:24-27


      Lets talk about diarrhea a bit.  Have you ever had diarrhea? Let me tell you it is not fun.   Diarrhea is what happens when your body is full of stuff that is not solid...   (Well that is a simplified explanation but it will suffice for our purposes...)  If you want to prevent diarrhea they say that Pepto-Bismal is the thing to take.    If you already have it, then they say that Immodium is a good solution.... OK. Fine, you say, but what does that have to do with the verse above?


         Have you ever had "spiritual" diarrhea?  "Spiritual" diarrhea would be when your full of so called "spiritual" stuff that is not solid....   by solid, I mean not solid in the word.   It would be akin to your house not being built on the rock but on sand instead.   Spiritual diarrhea can be prevented by a diet heavy in the word of God and quiet time spent with Him.  If spiritual diarrhea is already happening, the cure would include the same thing as the prevention.   A diet heavy in the word, and more time alone with God.


       A steady regular diet of the word is good for a lot of things....  it's kind of like "chicken soup" for the soul...   (I hope that whoever coined that phrase doesn't go after me for using it...)  You can never get too much of it...   If a little is good... a lot is better....   Just listening to people talk about God is not always a good thing.   You must read the word and know it so that you can evaluate what those who teach you are saying.   What they are teaching should be backed up by the word.  If it is not then we ought not be listening to them.  If we know the word, really know it... then we can weed out the bad..... Our foundation will be strong.   Our house will be built upon the rock.   


        Dear Lord,  thank You for giving us the word.   Thank You for allowing Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us to help us to understand the word.   Thank You for how the Holy Spirit helps us to discern the words of our teachers and to seek their foundation in Your word.  Thanks for that smack upside the head when we finally get it....  and for always showing us something new in passages that we may have read over and over and over again...