“You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!”
(Haggai 1:6)
I use a twin tub washing machine at home. I love the machine; it has served us really well and still gets the job done. But honestly? The most frustrating part about using this kind of washing machine is that the water inlet isn’t automatic. Once I turn on the tap, I have to remember to manually shut it off when the tub is full.
That’s not all. I also have to make sure the drain setting isn’t on. Because if it is, well… there goes all the water draining out as fast as it’s coming in.
Now picture this: it’s one of those busy laundry mornings. I have turned on the tap and left the machine to fill. I go off to check what’s cooking on the gas or attend to the children. You know how we moms often believe we can be in five places at once (multitasking heroes). And to be fair, many times, we really are who we think we are: heroes!
But there are days when our hero hats slip like the day I returned fifteen minutes later… only to find the tub completely empty. Not a single drop in it, because while I had turned on the water, I forgot to turn off the drain! I was so upset at the innocent washing machine meanwhile it was doing exactly what it was built to do. The fault wasn’t with the washing machine, it was with me. I didn’t check the drain.
Where Is the Leak in Your Life?
One day, as I stood in front of the machine, fuming over wasted time and water, something struck me.
How many times do we blame God when we are the ones who failed to check the ‘settings‘ of our own lives? The frustration comes. The disappointment. The delayed results. And the questions start to rise:
“God, where are You?”
“Lord, why aren’t You moving?”
“Father, what’s wrong?”
But like my twin tub, many of the things God has set in place are working just fine. The Word is living and active. His promises are still true. His instructions are clear. His nature has not changed. He is not broken. The issue is often within us.
God Has Already Commanded the Blessing
There are times God has already given the instruction, already released the grace, already opened the door… but we are misaligned, unprepared, distracted, or draining away what He’s trying to pour.
We pray for strength but entertain bitterness.
We seek open doors but nurture fear.
We desire peace but ignore His Word.
We chase purpose but refuse discipline.
We ask for rain, but leave the “drain mode” of disobedience running.
The truth is you can’t collect what you keep leaking.
It’s Not a Machine Issue, It’s a Stewardship Issue
God is not malfunctioning.
He is not holding back to spite you.
He is not slow or stingy.
Sometimes, we are just careless stewards.
We didn’t check. We didn’t watch. We didn’t follow through. We didn’t seal the cracks that needed sealing.
And it is easier to blame Him than to own the leak.
What Needs to Be Shut Off So You Can Hold What God Is Pouring?
Today, I encourage you to prayerfully consider these questions and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth and into freedom from the sin or habits that keep the ‘drain‘ open.
Scripture says, “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up…” (Hebrews 12:1).
- Is there something you’re pouring energy into, yet it feels like nothing is working?
- Could it be that a drain is still open?
- Could it be that God is already moving, already speaking, already releasing, but your tub isn’t holding much or anything because you forgot to switch the settings?
- What is God pouring into your life in this season?
- And what do you need to check before it drains away again?
