Next Level Thinking DevotionalSample

Get the Contaminants Out

Years ago, there was a small village in Africa that experienced a severe disease outbreak. City officials recruited experts to find the source of the quickly spreading problem. After running tests on the village’s water, they found it was contaminated. Researchers traveled for days up the water stream that flowed into the village looking for the source of the problem. There were no problems visible on the surface, so divers were sent to look under the water.

The divers found that a pig and her piglets had drowned and become wedged near the source of the stream. As soon as the pigs were removed—the water was completely fine. 

This principle is often true for our lives. We often allow contaminants such as bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness to take root in our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says that everything we do flows from our hearts, so we must guard it. It is our source.

If you are wondering why you are constantly negative, depressed or angry, ask yourself if you have allowed any contaminants to pollute your stream. 

The book of Ruth tells us about a woman named Naomi. Naomi’s husband and sons died—a situation that overwhelmed her with grief. She began to allow the grief she was experiencing to turn into bitterness. She told her people to no longer call her Naomi, which means “my joy,” but to call her Mara, meaning “bitter.”

Bitterness became a part of Naomi’s identity.

Yes, Naomi had experienced loss, but that didn’t mean she was never going to win again. Her life began to revolve around the loss she experienced instead of processing through grief and pain for a season and moving forward. 

What have you changed your name to? Victim, depressed, unlovable? 

That’s not who you are—your name is victorious, free, and deeply loved by God!

We don’t downplay the hardships we go through, but God promises that there will be grace for every season. No matter what you are facing, choose to lean into God’s grace instead of allowing bitterness or hopelessness to take root. 

There is purpose for you waiting to be fulfilled. You wouldn’t be alive unless God had something amazing up ahead for you!