Close The Door

My mum employed other techniques to keep the house cool

Psalm 32:1-11

Reference: For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. (Psalm 32:4 NIV)

Explore: Although we live in the southern part of Australia, we can still get very hot Summers. Growing up we didn’t have an air conditioner, so my mum employed other techniques to keep the house cool.

Early in the morning she would close all the windows and blinds and there would be the constant cry of “CLOSE THE DOOR” every time someone came in from outside. During the day she would work hard at keeping the thick heat out of the house but once the cool change came, she would race around flinging wide all the doors and windows.

Her diligence paid off. There was nothing like coming in from the hot, humid heat into a cool dark room. You’d sit on the couch and you’d forget how hot it was outside until you ventured out again into the wall of heat beyond the back door.

Application: Psalm 32 talks of our sin weighing us down like the heat of Summer. No matter what we do or say, if we stay with our sin then there is little relief.

But God does not desire for us to stay that way. He went to great lengths, even before Jesus walked on this earth, to redeem His people. And when we finally shake off our pride and come to Him for forgiveness, it’s like walking into Mum’s cool house on a hot day.

God’s forgiveness brings relief, lightness and the ability to look to the future. Our soul will not find a place that gives it more refreshment than at God’s feet.

Prayer: Lord, within our human stubbornness, there are times when we wallow in the heat of our sin. We have all done wrong and we pray that You would forgive us, and bring us into Your life-giving peace. Amen.

Which sin keeps bringing heat into your life?

cool, forgiveness, heat, Psalm, redemption, summer