As most of you know I work in a hospital. Each day as I take care of sick patients I, along with my coworkers pay close attention to infection control guidelines. We don gloves and gowns to protect not only the patient from us but us from the patient. It is so easy to transfer germs from one object to another. In between procedures and processes we wash our hands to ensure that each process is “clean”. I was washing my hands today and as I was scrubbing in between my fingers, under my nails etc I somehow got lost in how good it felt to wash away the germs. This got me to thinking about something.
When Jesus made the decision to die on the cross for our wrong doings He washed away our sins. He took blow after blow to ensure that we would never have to see the finality of death. In Isaiah 1:16 it states” Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; see justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widows cause. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
In our day to day lives we are presented over and over again opportunities to do wrong. From the moment, we wake until we fall asleep sin is ever present. We see it in the form of friendships that we need to terminate, colleagues that expose their immoral thoughts to us-we need to cast those down immediately btw, and even our thoughts that can sometimes keep us awake at night with worry. Television and internet present countless ways for us to do wrong. However, Jesus has challenged us to wash ourselves-to remove the evil deeds. He’s asked us to learn to do good. We must be willing and obedient to receive the good of the land. We can’t live like rebels and expect the goodness to fall on us like snow. I don’t know about you but I’d like a clean heart and mind so I can inherit all that God has for me.
I want to wash myself in all God’s goodness. I want to get lost in the love and patience he has for me. I want to wash away all the negative things that keep me from having a close intimate relationship with my Father. I want to do good, see justice and plead the widows cause. Those are things that bring God glory. I do realize and you should too that salvation is not earned. But a relationship with Christ means understanding His ways and thinking/acting as he would. This can only be accomplished by spending time with him and his word. Those are the things that help us away the germs of the day. Those are the things that make us stronger and keep us from the temptations of this world. Job 17:9 ESV states,” Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.” And even when we fail to get it right—something we all struggle with- we can always start again- and bathe in God’s goodness and forgiveness. He loves us so much that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. In Psalms 24:3-4 sums it up nicely for me. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false. Let’s keep it clean guys. It’s totally worth it.
Just keeping it Cristaclear.