The Creeping Mold - No. 36

Leviticus 14:35, “It seems to me there is as it were a plague in the house.” Read the whole passage when you get time – Leviticus 14:33-57.

Can plagues come to houses as well as people? Yes, and not only in ancient times, but in our modern society as well.

We have friends nearby who have had to move out of their home because of a creeping mold that began to take over. Their washing machine overflowed through faulty installation. They cleaned it up, yet silently the mold began to grow. After a few weeks, members of the family experienced rashes, nose bleeds and bad headaches. They called in the experts who ordered them to leave their home immediately. After a year of inspections, the home will now be totally demolished. If you were to look in the huge containers filled with the belongings from their home, you would see green and black poisonous mold growing everywhere. Is this an isolated case? No, our friends are now meeting others in the same position. Claims involving mold damage are escalating into millions of dollars.

Worse than molds that can infect your walls, are leprous plagues that eat into the relationships of the home-dwellers - plagues that contaminate the joy and harmony of the home. They are the creeping molds of arguing and dissension, resentment, anger, bitterness, hate, jealousy, unforgiveness, the ‘silent treatment’ and non-communication, grumbling and complaining, impurity and adultery, pornography, and the invasion of the worldly spirit through TV and worldy literature and music.

What should we do when these plagues creep into our relationships? We must deal with them immediately or they will destroy the home. We cannot let the plague continue. We have to be serious about it. No wonder Ephesians 4:26 enjoins us to “let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Life is not perfect. Difficult situations will often arise in our marriage relationship and dealing with our children. But if we get mad or angry, we must not hold the grudge! We have to get rid of it, at least before we go to sleep for the night!  Isn’t it wonderful that God has an answer for every challenge we face in our daily lives?

Natural molds, of which there are many variations, can develop within 24 – 48 hours from standing water, if not thoroughly dried in that time. Very soon they multiply, and through the ventilation system put millions of spores into the air. Every spore has a toxin that produces poison. Just as it is in wood and brick, so it is in our daily relationships. We must deal the infection before it spreads and causes more havoc. Sin is never stagnant; it always spreads.

Even back in the Old Testament, God gives us the plan on how to deal with these plagues in our homes. Leviticus 14:40 tells us that we must “tear out the stones with the plague in them and throw them away.” That’s not all! Next, they had to “thoroughly scrape” all around to make sure every bit of the infection was eradicated. (Verse 41.)

Scraping? Oh this hurts, doesn’t it? It hurts our putrid pride. Even the noise of it grates on our nerves. But this is how we have to deal with this “spreading mildew”. We have to scrape it clean, no matter how much is uncovered and leaves us bare and exposed.  We have to humble ourselves and give up our own way. We cannot leave one tiny spore of contamination or it will grow again. Oh I know this is hard, but there is no other way! It’s the only way to save your home from destruction.

But we haven’t finished yet. Once we have scraped every bit of the plague away, we then have to “take other (verse 42). We can’t leave the space empty or more “wicked spirits” will fill the home. (Luke 11:24-26)  By God’s power and grace, we must fill up the gap with “other” stones - stones of humility, meekness, forgiveness, love, blessing, kindness, longsuffering and tolerance. These “other” stones will heal strained relationships. They will mend broken relationships. They will restore hurting marriages. stones and put them in the place of these stones…”

Do you have a plague eating away at your household? God has given you the answer to eradicate it. Obey His principles and you will find healing and blessing.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Dear Father God, I confess my sin before you now (name it before the Lord). I repent of it. I lay down my pride and stubbornness at the foot of the cross and leave it there. Please give me strength to pull out all the infection and scrape it completely clean. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Fill me to overflowing that I will overflow and pour into my home the beautiful stones of love, meekness and forbearance. I thank you Lord, for showing me the way. Amen."

QUOTE: 

The dearest idol I had known,

Whate’er that idol be -

Help me to tear it from Thy throne

And worship only Thee.