Clean
Written by Chris Taylor
Isaiah 1:18 – “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.”
Today I spent some time visiting with the locksmith who had come to fix the front door at work. He told me several stories and shared his memories of my workplace, which used to be a nursing home where his mother had lived. After sharing a lot of his own health conditions, he told me that he and his wife had quit smoking after 40 years. When I asked him if he felt better, he responded quickly with a YES!
He went on to tell me that many things had changed since he gave up this habit. He knew it was something that he needed to give up but never knew all of the benefits it would bring when he did. He could taste his food. Some foods he didn’t like anymore, and others he now enjoyed that he didn’t before. He could breathe better, sleep better, and felt more confident about his health. He also told me that his wife began to wash everything in the house. They didn’t realize that the walls had become brown. They also rediscovered that their drapes where actually white, not yellow.
I thought, wow, what a picture of what Christ does to our lives when we turn from sin. First we bring Him our issues, our sins, and our habits and He not only changes us, but he cleanses us. The word says that He washes us white as snow. Even when we knew things weren’t clean, we see it even more when we experience the newness and brightness we have through Christ. Then there are things we used to enjoy that lose their luster, and things we didn’t like that are now pleasant. We can breathe with the breath He’s placed in our lungs, sleep peacefully, and feel more confident about our eternity knowing that our sins have been washed white!
I’m thankful for the reminder of God’s changing and cleansing. I’m grateful that He allowed me to see the true condition I was in before He washed me clean. If there’s an area in your life that needs to change, take it to God. Take the steps and allow Him to cleanse you. Allow Him to bring you into a newness that you can’t currently imagine!