The slippery slope
Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Numbers 28, 29, 30, 31
Numbers 31:21-24 (NIV)
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is the requirement of the law that the Lord gave Moses: 22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead 23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”
Mark 1:40-44 (NIV)
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Good morning!
Have you ever felt so dirty that you wondered whether you would ever be clean again? When I was in junior high, our class took a trip one rainy, spring day, to a nearby park. We were there to explore a nature trail. It was really wet outside. Fortunately, the temperature was comfortable, even in the pouring rain. There was a downhill slope that our teacher probably should have asked us to avoid. Maybe she knew it would do no good. We took turns sliding down that muddy trail, and I can tell you that I became one big mud ball with nature that day. My poor mother had to bring me clean clothes to change into after we returned to the school. I had mud caked in my long hair, ground into my clothing, and stuck under my fingernails. I’ve never been fond of mud wrestling, but I could have been the winner that day! I think I even surprised my teacher. What had started as innocent fun in the rain became a huge mess and very hard to clean up. It took several good scrubbings that week to remove the last of the mud stains. My clothes had to be thrown away; they were simply ruined. I even had to buy a new pair of tennis shoes. I had no idea how hard it was going to be to get clean.
I think about that experience and it reminds me of just how hard it is to wash away the stains of sin that we bring upon ourselves in the poor choices we make with our lives. It may look like fun at first, as we begin to slide down that slippery, muddy slope. We get dirty; so filthy that we become almost unrecognizable to the people who know and love us. All of a sudden, we are in so deep, we get stuck in the muck and mire of that stinky sin hole, and we wonder how in the world we are ever going to get out. We begin to drown. Thank you, Jesus, for your amazing, saving grace. Without it, we would be lost forever in the pit of sin.
When the Israelite soldiers returned from war, they had unclean hands. Moses had instructed the Lord’s priests in the purification ritual required of one’s heart when the stains of death and destruction separate us from the Lord. Our gold and silver, our treasures on earth, must be purified by holy fire. The bronze metals, our achievements, successes and recognition, were to be laid at His holy altar. Our iron-hard heads, stubbornness, self-centeredness, and prideful ambition had to be purged by the holy fire. Our tin hearts and lead feet must be melted and reshaped into hearts and feet that He can use. And the water of life, the pure water of salvation must be poured over our bodies, minds and souls, to completely cleanse and free us from the build-up of sin and separation of death. On the seventh day, the Lord’s Day, we are to wash our clothes and put on His robe of righteousness. Then, we will finally be clean; free from stains of sin. When God cleans up our act, we receive admission into His camp. Can you imagine what it is like to be so very dirty, inside and out, only to be cleansed and purified once and for all by the Savior of the world?
The leper begged Jesus to heal him. He fell to his knees and prayed, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” He submitted his life to the cleansing power of Jesus Christ, and allowed the Lord to purify him, inside and out. When the Lord cleanses you, from head to toe, heart and soul, and the sin that covered your life is suddenly gone, what do you do? There is just nothing left except to thank Him, praise Him, and tell everyone you know what He has done to redeem your life.
If you have been freed from the slippery slope, run to your pastors and tell them! Let them see what the Lord has done for you. If you need a good scrubbing today, you can begin the process by falling on your knees right here, and right now. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse and heal your life. He is willing and He is waiting for you to cry out to Him today. Don’t you want to be clean – really clean – forever clean? Come to Jesus and live!
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com
Pray for: help! Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to pull you out of the mud and free you from the stain of sin, once and for all. You can be free and clean today!
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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