Thought for the Week

Imagine: You just said or did something very hurtful to your dearest loved one. What is worse is you knew it would be hurtful and even intended it to be so. But, you did it anyway, then left in a huff and were gone all day. It was a miserable day. You could not even call to apologize. Calling would not be best anyway. You need to do this in person, face to face. You were going to see this loved one tonight. As soon as you caught sight of them across the room, you went right to them and began to apologize. Perhaps tears came to your eyes and to theirs as well. You confessed, profusely, your wrongdoing and begged their forgiveness. Hardly were the words out of your mouth when they gave you forgiveness. Certainly you embraced and expressed your love. You knew their words of forgiveness were genuine and their actions made you feel clean soul-deep. When I worked for my dad, one of the worst times of the year was barley harvest. Barley dust was not only dirty but was itchy as well. I could hardly wait to get home and take off my dirty, usually foul-smelling, clothing and get into a warm shower. I would soap, shampoo, and rinse—likely more than once. In the end, I was clean and very grateful to be so. We long for forgiveness and to be at one with those we love. Barriers to that oneness must come down as quickly as possible. I want to tell you, estrangement from God is even more a terrible feeling. The barriers separating us from Him are horrible. He hates them as much as you do. He also wants, desperately, to forgive you and bring you back into a loving, clean relationship. Make no mistake, the fault is always on your/our side, never on His. But the good news of Scripture tells us He loved us before we could love Him. It goes on to say, while we were yet sinners, Christ paid the penalty for our sin. He is ready to instantly forgive the sin and the sins we have committed against Him. The better news is that when He forgives, He also provides cleansing that washes us whiter than snow; makes us cleaner than any man-made soap can. The story of Naaman the leper tells us when Naaman followed God’s instructions, his skin became not only clean, but as clean and smooth as that of a child. You know how soft and tender a baby’s skin is. It is difficult to make the comparison between physical cleaning and spiritual cleansing. Spiritual cleansing is so much more important. But, hopefully you can relate and understand. Satan attempts to deceive us into believing we have sinned too much, too greatly, too permanently that God could not forgive. That is a lie. Scripture in another place tells us, “The blood of Jesus Christ is able to cleanse us from any/every/all sin.” Scripture continues to tell us, “Now is the time of salvation, today, if you hear His voice calling you, do not delay. Come with your request for forgiveness. Waiting just makes you more miserable. I wanted to get my shower and be clean from barley dust. You want to be clean from the sin you have committed. The hymn-writer asks, “Would you be free from your burden of sin? There is power in the blood of the Lamb.” (Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.) Our world is in such bad shape, because people are carrying around a load of un-forgiveness. It is totally unnecessary. God has the cleansing readily available. You can be forgiven, clean, free, and even guiltless when God works, He works wonderfully well and you can be forgiven.