Day 29 – I had a wonderful day worshipping the Lord at church. Then, I was blessed with spending time with my middle daughter. Finally, I was able to finish my evening talking to my oldest daughter.
The not so great part of my day was when I pulled out my fridge in effort to clean behind and underneath in preparation for a new fridge. Our fridge is 20 years old and yes, I have cleaned underneath it before. However, you wouldn't know that based on what I saw there. The bottom of our fridge is starting to rust out as well as the compressor starting to fail. Let me describe to you how awful it really was. It looked like someone poured molasses all over the tile, took a heat gun to it to crystallize it and then finally dumped a bunch of trash on it which was cemented to the ground. Lovely picture isn't it? While I could have ignored it and just moved a new fridge in on top of it, it would have just been ignoring a major problem that would probably mold and grow into a new problem. It took hot water, lots of cleaner and major elbow grease to get it clean and all in a tight space.
It is so exciting to get something new but getting rid of the old and cleaning up the old is always difficult. Isn't our life a little like that. Sometimes it is very hard to let go of sin because it is what is there and what we are used to. We can ignore it, stuff it under the fridge but it is still lingering and cementing it to our lives. If we don't let God clean house in our lives, we will just stink and be gross. There are times when it is hard work and times when it is hard to work around but ultimately, we will love being clean in the long run and more precious in His sight.
We are very blessed in that God will accept us wherever we are and it doesn't matter how far off track we get. He wants to clean our heart and have us draw closer to Him. May you be blessed knowing that he will cleanse you and make you new.
Psalm 51: 1-121 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me
In BSF we are studying John and today was about the moment at the dinner when Jesus prophesies to Peter that he will deny Jesus 3 times that night before the cock crows. The homework has us cross-reference the same account in Luke and then asks us what Jesus prophesied to Peter. Naturally, the prophecy was that Peter would betray him. But surprisingly, in each passage there is also a prophecy of Peter's return to Jesus, and the promise of eternal future spent with his Savior, Christ Jesus. Jesus was so tender and so loving. He knew Peter's future failings as clear as He could look at Peter's face, but He also knew that God would answer His own prayer for Peter's faith to endure, and He knew that it would. His prophecy was that Peter would overcome those sinful places in his life to receive the ultimate inheritance. How sweet is that?! He works with us sinful people so frankly, and prays for us to endure the testing. I can't believe Him! He is so amazing and wants to root out that sin, facing it head on, with constant encouragement that our faith cannot fail because He has prayed for us to endure. <3
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