The Hall Closet….,.

One day I found Him waiting for me at the door, An arresting look was in His eye. As I entered, He said to me, “There’s a peculiar smell in the house. Something must be dead around here. It’s upstairs. I think it is in the hail closet.” As soon as He said this, I knew what He was talking about. There was a small closet up there on the hall landing, just a few feet square. In that closet, behind lock and key, I had one or two little personal things that I didn’t want anyone to know about. Certainly, I did not want Christ to see them. I knew they were dead and rotting things left over from the old life, but I didn’t really want to get rid of them.  What if I ever needed them again? Reluctantly, I went up with Him, and as we mounted the stairs the odor became stronger and stronger.

     He pointed to the door. I was angry. That’s the only way I can put it. I had given Him access to the library, the dining room, the living room, and the bathroom,  and now He was asking me about a little two-by-four closet. I said to myself, “This is too much. I am not going to give Him the key.” “Well,” He said, reading my thoughts, “if you think I’m going to stay up here on the second floor with this smell, you are mistaken. I will go out on the porch.” Then I saw Him start down the stairs. When one comes to know and love Christ, the worst thing that can happen is to sense Him withdrawing His fellowship. I had to give in.

“Yes I’ll give You the key,” I said sadly, ‘but You will have to open the closet and clean it out. I haven’t the strength to do it.” “Just give me the key,” He said. “Authorize me to take care of that closet and I will.” With trembling fingers I passed the key to Him, and He took it, walked over to the door, and opened it. The stench that came out of it nearly took my breath away! But He entered, took out all the putrefying stuff that was rotting there, and threw it away.

Then He cleaned the closet, washed it out and painted it. It was done in a moment’s time. Oh, what victory and relief to have those dead things out of my life! I thought of that verse that says, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9)