May 27, 2020
“Cleaning Up Our Mess!
“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7
It happened the Saturday before Easter many years ago. The church had purchased some Easter Lilies to place around the front of the sanctuary to brighten up the area. We were also planning an Easter baptism. The florist that brought the lilies said that if on Saturday we would pull out the yellow pollen stems that the flowers would last longer and the smell wouldn’t be overwhelming. So Saturday evening while the baptistery was filling up Peggy and I went about the task of pulling out the yellow pollen stems.
We had placed some of the lilies up around the baptistery. I was being very careful not to knock over a lily into the baptistery. Well I wasn’t careful enough, as I turned to come down I accidently knocked a lily into the baptistery. I jumped down into the baptistery and recovered the lily and it wasn’t any worse for wear. I cannot say the same about the baptistery. Some of the dirt had spilled into the fresh clean water of the baptistery and now it had become dirty. Peggy could not contain herself as she laughed at my antics. I stopped the water from running and pulled the plug. Thankfully there wasn’t but about two inches of water in the baptistery at the time. I emptied the baptistery and then got down and began cleaning up the dirt. It took several minutes to get every piece of dirt out of the bottom. I knew if I allowed one speck to remain it would cause the water to be dingy. Finally, I was satisfied and began running the water again.
The next morning everything went off without a hitch. No one but Peggy knew of the mishap, but we later shared it and we all had a good laugh. The point is that the dirt could be cleaned up and the water looked fresh and clean. Isn’t that what Jesus does to each of our lives. We are sinful dirty creatures. We have allowed the dirt to infiltrate our lives and stain us. We are just a little dirty we are filthy. We need someone to wash us clean.
Jesus came and died on the cross for that purpose. He came to get down into your life and wipe every speck of sin and dirt from you. In the Psalm after his terrible sin King David calls out to the Lord, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7) Oh, that we would allow Jesus to clean us up. Oh that we would realize that His death, buried and resurrection gives Him the ability to make us fresh and clean.
My prayer today is that if you haven’t allowed Jesus to clean your life that you will not wait another moment to get all the dirt out. Call on Jesus and He will make you clean.
Dear Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice and willingness to pay the price I should have paid. If there is anyone who needs cleaning, help them to come to the realization that you are the only way to perfect purity. Help us to live in the clean life you have given us and not to keep dumping dirt into our lives. We ask all of this in you Cleansing name, Amen.
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