What a Hole - Can it be filled?

Okay, so you say - what can possibly be said about a hole in the ground that would have eternal signifance? Well, I have been pondering this for a couple of days and really feel that this hole (or one like it) demonstrates a lot about our walk with the Lord.

When someone decides to dig a hole it is usually with the intent of filling it up with something else. The dirt is taken out and some object whether solid or liquid generally gets placed into the hole and then whatever soil is needed is placed on top until the ground is leveled again.

Sometimes holes can be caused by a shifting of the earth such as a pothole. Shifting ground or pressure from above can cause the hole to appear without ever having seen a shovel. The hole is there waiting for something to fill it up.

Often an animal of some burrowing type will dig away at the ground, making a home for themselves. They don't even bother to cover it up when they vacate it. Perhaps they intend to come back at some point or they may be setting it up for the next lonely traveler to find rest. Again, the hole is there waiting for something to fill it.

Unlike all of the examples above though, we are born with a hole. This hole is the deep yearning for someone greater than ourselves. From the very earliest moments of our lives we long to be "filled up" with that which would satisfy that gaping hole. We fill ourselves with food and drink, relationships, riches and sometimes even religion in a vain attempt to fill the hole of our spirit. All the while God is waiting patiently to bring filling to our spirit by the presence of the Holy Spirit within our lives.

And so, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, our hole becomes filled with the Spirit. The Spirit seeks to fill the emptiness of our lives with His love, His grace and His wisdom. But, we at times try to shovel in a lot of the dirt of the world and we displace Him from the hole. Not that He is ever gone, He just seems to be pushed aside while we place other objects that we feel will fill us. And as we continue to shovel in all this muck the emptiness grows greater and greater - until finally we have had enough. We pray and ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit. The hole once again is filled to the brim and often times - if we just allow His lordship we will feel the hole over flow with His goodness.

How foolish we are when we try and fill the hole of our lives with things that cannot satisfy. Instead, we should seek out the One who satisfies, the One who completes and the One who longs to fill us completely with His love. As we read His word another shovel full of "spirit ground" goes into the hole and we sense His filling. As we pray we feel the gap close in as we grow closer and closer to the One who brings us completeness. As we in faith stand back and allow the Master to fill us with His love, His healing, His discipline, His peace we find that our ground is becoming more and more level. The walking gets easier as we smooth out the rough spots along the way.

Oh, there will be times as we go along life's path that the hole will need to be resurfaced, but it is so much better if we maintain that filling with that which truly satisfies then to wait until the hole has grown to the point of needing a major excavation and repair.

Oh Lord, thank you that the hole can be filled. And most of all thank you for wanting to fill it. May my spirit always be willing to be filled with your Spirit.