Clean And At Rest

Sometimes you do things

on a regular basis, a habit 

and maybe one that 

you don't think too much about.

One of my habits each morning

before I can feel at rest

and spend some time with God

is to take my broom 

and sweep the floors.

Yesterday, I was doing that.

I'm always amazed 

at how much dust and dirt

has accumulated from the day before and the falling hair from family and pets.

I hear say that the average amount

of hair a normal person loses

is between 50-100 a day.

And God knows the number

of those still on your head

even when the count changes 

from day to day!

But I have digressed. 

As I was sweeping, 

it was one of those moments

(we've all had them)

where God showed me something.

For me to be able to rest

my home must be swept clean.

You'd think that I would realize

that the devotions were more important 

and let that go until afterwards.

But no, the cleaning and sweeping

helped me to BE at rest

so that I could enter His rest

and focus on Him

in my reading the bible/prayer time.

You know what?

God did that same thing for us!

He sent His Son to cleanse us

of all the dirt and grime and sin.

He came and took care of that

and opened the way for us to come

and enter His rest with Him.

So you and I can come boldly

before His throne of grace -

walk right in 

and come into sweet Rest.

Is the rest He gave dependant on us?

If it was, we'd never get to come to Him

because we'd always feel dirty

and grimy and would slink away

from coming into His rest.

He knew that.

So He cleansed us by His blood

and made us clean -

He did that first!

He stripped away the power of sin

and takes up residence in us

and His power works in us 

to will and do His good pleasure.

This is a fact.  He did this.

Find your rest in Him.

Come to Him all you who are weary

and heavy laden (all that grime

and dirt you've picked up 

here and there throughout each day)

and He will give you rest.

Remind yourself what Christ has done

for you each and every day.

You can go to Him confidently

in His cleansing flow

and He makes you white as snow.

I'm going to be real here.

You know those terrible things 

that happened and you've done them -

sometimes willingly.

Maybe even many times willingly.

Keep going to Him precious friend.

Keep entering His rest 

and continue to trust in what He's done.

He will deliver you.

You'll see.

He is your God.

He knows you

and He made the way open

for you to come and find your rest

through His cleansing

any and every moment you need it.

Just like He knows the current 

number of hairs on your head

in spite of the fact that 

some of them have fallen out even 

in the last hour.

"...you teach me wisdom 

in the inmost place.

Cleanse me (literally means "Un-sin me") with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me,

and I will be whiter than snow.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit 

within me."

Psalm 51:6b, 7, 9-10

You want to know what a life lived by faith looks like?

Every time you draw near to God

in full assurance that all He said and did on your behalf it true, you are living by faith!  It pleases Him for you to come near.  Look at Him and not the sin in your life that tries to say things to you louder than God.  Every time you believe God and draw near to Him "plunged in the precious flow of His Sons blood", He works in you and you will repent and enjoy lasting fellowship because He is near and you know He cares for you more than anything or anyone!