A few weeks back, I shared a couple of posts about keeping our ‘vessels’ clean and filled with God’s word. I used the analogy of household jars to illustrate some vital spiritual habits.
In our households, we all have separate containers for different items. No one pours oil or petrol into a water dispenser. These items are kept separate for safety purposes and identification. So while considering writing on ” separation “, my mind went to the threshing floor. Quite interestingly, yesterday I read Luke 3:17. John the Baptist said,
Luke 3:17 ESV
“His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
I’m not a farmer, but from my little understanding and research, I know that a threshing floor is a place used to separate grains. “The floor is said to be a flattened surface, circular and paved. Farmers separate grains from chaff by feet, oxen and the use of a flail.”
In the Bible, the threshing floor represented different things—God’s judgment (Judges 6, Matthew 3:12), blessing (Joel 2:24), and redemption. It was at the threshing floor that the Lord halted the judgment He brought upon David for taking a census. (Read 2 Samuel.) It was on that floor that the Lord instructed David to build an altar. And Solomon built the Temple on the threshing floor. (2 Chronicles 3.)
I don’t intend to go into any deep teaching to avoid a lengthy article. However, I want to highlight Luke 3:17 and what it means to us, believers in Christ.
“His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor… According to another writer, “‘to winnow is to blow air through grains to remove the chaff.’
The Lord holds the winnowing fork. And it is His duty to separate the wheat from the chaff. He preserves the wheat for good use while the chaff is burned up— because it is worthless. The chaff may certainly have served its purpose in the planting/growing seasons. But once the farmer harvests the grains, the chaff must be blown away, as it can’t be mixed with the grains.
In truth, we are still undergoing that separation, John foretold. For His Kingdom’s sake, the Lord will not have a mix of chaff and wheat in His barn. It will never serve His purposes, let alone sustain His sheep.
I looked up the picture of the winnowing fork, and I’m certain that the Lord uses it to sift through our hearts, consciences, attitudes, and lifestyles. He reveals to us that certain ways of living are like chaff— dead, worthless, and without value to the Kingdom of God.
Whatever the chaff is in your life may be different from mine. The Lord may be winnowing the company/friends we keep, books and movies we watch, and He’s saying, “son/daughter, ‘separate’ yourself from these lifeless things that impede growth.”
A year ago, we may have had attachments to certain things that didn’t look like chaff. But today, He is highlighting that the very things unsettling our hearts are the ones that don’t belong in the kingdom. They are distractions, stopping us from being fruitful. God intends to mill our lives into “fine flour”, seasoned, toasted and made lively and ready for His kingdom work.
Recently, the Lord has placed His winnowing fork on some chaff I must urgently let go of. As I write, I can almost feel the Lord separating the wheat from the chaff in my heart and soul, separating me from everything that’s unfit for His kingdom. By His help, I’ll continue to yield to Him.
I’m also asking you, my dear reader, “What is He telling you to separate yourself from?” Let’s cooperate with Him.
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