The Oven Sensor

I heard the beeping.
I was talking to my youngest daughter who came home to spend the day together.
I was looking past her as she was talking to me.
It’s just the oven timer, Mom, she said.

No, it’s not, I answered, I never set the timer.
We were having roast beef that night since two of my daughters would be home for dinner.
I jumped up and ran into the kitchen.
There was a code on the oven display, which I had seen once before.

In fact, I saw that code six months ago.
My husband did some research and realized that it was the code for a particular sensor.
It was a heat sensor that was malfunctioning.
Only six months ago that same sensor was replaced.

I quickly turned off the oven.
The roast beef had been in there for a while.
I took the roast out of the oven and tested to see if it was done.
I was just fine but my oven was not.

The oven is not that old.
My husband would much rather replace a sensor than buy a new oven.
We turned the oven on the next day to see if we could get the same code to appear.
Nothing happened.

Just use the oven until you see the code again, my husband told me.
There’s nothing dangerous; it’s just not going to regulate the temperature correctly, he said.
The next day I was having a young mom over with her five children.
I wanted to bake something for fall to coax the cooler weather to come.

I turned on the main oven to preheat without even thinking.
I have another oven but remembered my husband said I could use this one.
I mixed all the ingredients and poured the batter into the pan.
I put the pan in the oven and set the timer for twenty minutes.

Six minutes later I heard the same beeping that I heard days before.
I turned towards the oven and saw the code displayed again.
I quickly turned off the oven with the intention of finishing the baking in my wall oven.
When I opened the oven door, the top of the batter was dark brown; the bottom was gooey.

You’ve got to be kidding, I said out loud.
I knew that this young mom and her five children would be there within the hour.
I had to throw away what I first baked and start over.
How could the top get so brown in only six minutes?

There’s nothing dangerous; it’s just not going to regulate the temperature correctly.
I remembered my husband’s words.
The temperature sensor was not working properly.
The oven had no way to regulate the inner temperature.

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:14-22)

Laodicea was a wealthy commercial center.
It was known for three industries: banking, wool, and medicinal eye salve.
Nearby Hierapolis was known for its hot springs.
Nearby Colosse was known for its cold, refreshing mountain stream.

Laodicea has dirty, tepid water that flowed through an underground aqueduct.
When anyone drank that water, they immediately spit it out.
The apostle, John, who wrote Revelation, used that analogy to describe the church there.
The church of Laodicea was neither hot or cold.

They were not on fire for Christ nor did they opening reject Him; they were lukewarm.
God tells them that He will spit them out of His mouth.
Like my oven, their spiritual sensor was off.
They were unable, or unwilling, to regulate their spiritual temperature.

We have a sensor.
When we trust in Jesus alone for our salvation, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us.
The Holy Spirit is our spiritual sensor.
The Holy Spirit teaches us all things, convicts us of sin, and guides us in all Truth.

With the Holy Spirit’s help, we will never burn out too quickly or extinguish completely.
Our spiritual code says, SAVED.
We may get a bit lazy from time to time, but the Holy Spirit points that out to us.
It is like we have our own beeping sensor that speaks directly to our heart.

We are held and kept once we come to Jesus and trust in Him alone for our salvation.
The Holy Spirit helps us to persevere.
With the Holy Spirit’s help, we will never be lukewarm.
God will never leave us or forsake us and we will never be spit out of His mouth.

The new sensor for my oven has been ordered.
My husband will install it when it arrives.
I am thankful for the lesson the broken sensor taught me.
We, who are in Christ, have the Holy Spirit as our built in spiritual sensor.

Thank you Holy Spirit, for never allowing me to be lukewarm in my faith.
Help me to press on so that others will see You in me.
Keep me passionate about You, never lacking in zeal.
Help me to never grow cold or complacent in my love for you.