The Good Soak

I love doing dishes, call me crazy, but dishwashing is my favorite household chore. I enjoy getting my hands into warm, soapy water and turning something visibly soiled into something sparkling clean and ready to be used again. Yet in all that fun, I can get annoyed if things take a little too much elbow grease to get clean. Baked on, caked on debris can be a bit of a challenge so I always put those items to soak as soon as possible. After the soak has had its say, the dish comes clean with a minimum of effort and all is well again at the kitchen sink.

Translate this to our spiritual lives and there is a similar pattern. When we feel the dirty, caked on grime clinging to our souls from sin and shame, nothing reveals this and makes it easier to remove than a good soaking in the Word of God. This is where lies are revealed for what they are and truth makes a way for the wrongs to be righted and the sparkling, clean and new you can emerge for a brand new try at following Jesus, moving on, with His mercy and grace.

God tells us in Psalm 103 that he has not dealt with us after our sins; nor regarded us according to our iniquities. (vs.10)

“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103: 11-12

This washing makes the soiled soul rejoice because there is just no way we can “clean-up” ourselves. A favorite promise of mine in the Bible is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This promise starts with an “if” which means we have freewill to choose to obey God in confession and if we do, the fulfillment of the promise follows. And that act of forgiveness is huge because it not only means God says He forgives us, but He cleanses this sin from our record. Removes it, never to remember it again.

Confession is the key. Recognizing our sinfulness, we let God know that we know what we’ve done. We agree with Him that it was wrong and we need His forgiveness, first and foremost. How do you know, that you know that you have done wrongly, except to know His Word and listen to His Spirit as He convicts you until He convinces you that you need a washing.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved, us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:5

After a soak in His Word, and confession from a repentant heart, you emerge: a sparkling, clean vessel, ready to be used again.

Love you in Christ, Vickie