Ezekiel 37:23b – I will wash away
their sin and make them clean, and I will protect them from everything
that makes them unclean. They will be my people, and I will be their
God. (CEV)
There is a major house renovation going on close to where we
live. Actually, it has been in progress for weeks and weeks – new roof,
insulation, siding, windows, doors, sunroom and storage addition – a
complete overhaul! I don’t know, because I have not seen inside, but I
have to assume that there is a great deal of updating, repair and
cleaning being addressed inside the home too: and I assume this due to
the time it is taking to complete the work.
I recall when my husband and I, were looking for a home in
this park, that we viewed one particular unit that was in a beautiful
location, the price was amazing (it would have left a great deal of
‘spare’ cash for renovations) but the condition inside was nothing short
of ‘disgusting’: how anyone could have lived in the home in the
condition it was in, was beyond our comprehension.
We had agreed that we were willing to move into a house of
our choice and do work while living there, but the filth and the updates
needed in that particular house, were way too bad for us to even
consider moving in and living there in – there was far too much to do to
make it habitable.
When some people are challenged to give their lives to God
and invite Jesus into their hearts, they recognize the truth that they
have sinned before God. As a result, they want to clean up their lives
before they issue an invitation to Jesus. They don’t yet understand that
God comes into our lives to clean us up, precisely because we can’t do
it for ourselves.
Isaiah 64:6a – But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. (NKJV)
The good news is that God loves us just as we are. So when
we become willing to accept God into our lives, thankfully, He does not
shun our dirty lives like we rejected that dirty home. He welcomes us
and cleanses us. He does not leave us as we are, with our disparaging
thoughts, our criticism of others, our idolatry of all things material,
and all our major and minor sinful ways. This process is called
“sanctification”.
Isaiah 1:16 – Wash yourselves clean! I am disgusted with your filthy deeds. Stop doing wrong. (CEV)
Just as the house we viewed had much to clean up before
being habitable, so God needs to clean up our lives, thoughts, and
actions, so that we become a true reflection of His Son, Jesus, in our
hearts, minds, and spirits.
James 4:8 – Come near to God, and he will
come near to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners. Purify your hearts,
you people who can’t make up your mind. (CEV)
Prayer: Abba, make us aware of all that is in our lives, our
thoughts, and our deeds, that is unworthy of Your presence within us.
Wash us clean, and renew our spirits and hearts so that we are
wholesome, presentable, and welcoming to all who look at us and the ways
that we live. We want to be acceptable to You and winsome to them. In
Jesus’ name. Amen.
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