Well this is empty,,, throw it away?

     You have just finished the last drink of the bottle of soft drink. The bottle is empty so you toss it in the trash. Maybe it was a bottle of water for you but the bottle is empty now so you throw it away. Would the bottle serve another purpose? Obviously, the bottle had no more meaning of existence for you. After all, it is empty. If I acquired a thirst, there is nothing left in the this bottle to satisfy that thirst.
     The one thing that we hate the most is to open the fridge to get the milk only to find out the last person who got milk finished the jug but put the jug back into the fridge empty. Oh the emotion that goes through your veins when that happens. You don't want that to happen to someone else so you get the jug out and toss it in the trash. It's empty. It is any good now.
     Is the emptiness of something that cause it to have no value? Before you answer, lets ponder for a moment about the Cloths dryer. When is it the most useful to me? It is the most useful to me when it is empty. After a load from the washer, I want to find the dryer empty and ready for use. Likewise, when the load is completely dried, I don't toss the dryer to the trash. The dryer is waiting on me to place another load of clothes to be dried inside of it.
     I know you are going to enjoy this one. what about a baby diaper? When is it the most useful and purposeful? It is of most value to us when it is empty. It is in its emptiness that it performs for me. I wouldn't put a full or used diaper on a baby or child. I want to place an empty, clean diaper on them.
     In Philippians 2, Paul writes to us about the humility of Christ. In verses 6-7 of that chapter, Paul tells us that Jesus, "who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men." The Greek word, Kenos is used here to imply that Jesus emptied himself. At that very moment, Jesus was already fully God, but he became fully man. Jesus emptied himself. There is great debate as to what Jesus emptied himself of but that is not my intent at this moment to discuss the theological aspects of that debate.
     I was us to discuss the reality that whatever he emptied. He did it for us. He left the portals of glory to come visit us and to die for us. In verse 8, Paul tells us "he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross". The most vile and despicable of all forms of death. In Jesus' emptiness, He fulfilled the awesome plan of God.
     You may feel lonely and defeated today. You may just like there is nothing on the inside of you right now. You just have this empty feeling of worthlessness. Don't forget Jesus experienced moments of loneliness and emptiness. He wants to be there for you today. If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, that is the empty feeling. Ask him into your heart today and follow him. If you know him, maybe you have been following at a distance, come closer, He is waiting on you.

I am John Sowders and I am Second..!!!!