Removing the Clutter

Day three hundred fourteen

This morning I prayed with gratitude for my family.  Some weeks we struggle to spend time together because of the different work schedules, but we are all willing to sacrifice a little sleep so that we can at least spend a few minutes before going to bed to talk and have a family prayer.  I am so grateful for those few minutes each night, it is a simple expression of our love for each other and our love for the Lord.  I just wanted Heavenly Father to know that I love my family and appreciate these small blessings. 


2 Chronicles 27:6

"So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God."

What does it mean to be mighty?  In the case of Jotham it means he did right in the sight of the Lord ( v 2) , he built up the kingdom (vv 3-4), he conquered his enemies (v 5), and he prospered materially (v 5).  I think I could use a little more mighty in my  life!

Verse 6 tells us that Jotham was mighty because 'he prepared his ways before the Lord.'  In this verse the word prepared means (Heb) ordered; i.e., maintained a steady course.  This got me thinking about my course or path.  Are there things I could be doing to improve the path that I am taking?

Proverbs 4:25-27 states: "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil."

Solomon is telling his son to smooth out the path in front of him by:

Let thine eyes look right on - Stay focused on the goal (Return to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ)

Ponder the path of thy feet - Meditate on the choices you make, think things through

Let all thy ways be established - Stick to what is right

Turn not to the right nor to the left - This seems like a repeat of staying focused, don't get distracted (this must be a common problem for us if it is repeated!)

Remove thy feet from evil - avoid evil at all costs!


Might comes from clearing the path. Jotham’s strength came because he cleared out the way before him.  I think of it like cleaning off your desk so you can work.  When your desk gets all cluttered up, it seems like you can’t get a thing done.  So many distractions, too many choices, not a clear direction to go in.  But when you go through all the various piles and throw out the trash, you seem to work much better.  The process of removing the clutter lessens the distractions, helps us prioritize, and gives a direction to go. 

Hebrews 12:13 gives some insights into how important it is to have a smooth path: "And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed."

What are the things that can make us lame? Sometimes the trials we go through can leave us with a little tattered. We might need to limp along the path as we rebuild ourselves. Or like in Gal 6:1 maybe we are overtaken in a fault (sin), this can cause us to limp along our spiritual path. The thing is, if you are limping, it's not fun to be walking along a path that is filled with twists, rocks and holes.  We need straight paths. 

There is “clutter” in everyone's life that makes it harder to walk with the Lord. We need to make the walk easier by removing the clutter.