Take that shower - Inspiration for today

"People often say that motivation doesn't last.
Well, neither does bathing (or showing) - that's why we recommend it daily." - Zig Ziglar

I had a quiet chuckle when I read this quote earlier today. It seems a little silly at first reading, but then it starts to make a lot more sense.

If we looked at the quote in light of our spiritual lives, we may feel that our daily Bible readings don't seem to 'last' over the course of a day. All the events of a typical day can threaten to move us away from the presence of God, but this is why we need to turn to Jesus for our 'daily bread.'

A daily time of refreshing in God's Word is not meant to be a quick, long-term fix. It is meant to give us enough grace and spiritual inspiration for that day, and hopefully give us enough desire to return to the Word the next day.

Psalm 51:2 - Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 51:7 - Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

 

Ephesians 5:26 - "... cleansing her by the washing with water through the word."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Cleaner than clean

Even washing clothes in a modern washing machine doesn't always get them 100% clean. Sometimes one has to apply JIK, extra soap or some other cleaning agent to get the stains out. If you understand this house-hold analogy, then you will understand what Malachi is getting at in today's reading. He is promising that God will refine and clean the Israelites - this will be done to make them acceptable to the Lord.  

^"But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, ⁴ and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years." - Malachi 3:2-4

As we edge closer to Christmas let us reflect on the work of Jesus was he came to cleanse us from our sins. The tiny baby, born in the manger, grows up to become the man on the cross. The sacrifice of Christ allowed us the chance to become cleaner than clean. 

No amount of Religion can cleanse us from our sins - we need the love and grace of Christ to get us spotless.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

As clean as a whistle

I heard this phrase on the way into work this morning - "It will be as clean as a whistle!" I haven't heard it for a while, but it reminded me of how God promises to make us clean from our lives of sin. We may not end up being as 'clean as a whistle', but we can be purified by His love and mercy. His blood was spilt so that we could be made clean.

Matthew 8:2 - "Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

Acts 15:9 - "He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith."

If you have a moment you should also read Psalm 51. It is a wonderful Psalm about forgiveness and being made clean by God.

Living in Grace
D3LM3


Just out of interest, there is some debate as to the origins of this phrase 'as clean as a whistle.' A lot of people want to know why a whistle is used in a sentence about cleanliness? It may have had some origins in a poem by Robert Burns, but it could also refer to the fact that if a whistle is 'blocked' then no sound will come from it. It needs to be clean in order for there to be sound coming through.

It has also been suggested that the original phrase was actually 'as CLEAR as a whistle.' Which would then make more sense I guess. When we hear a whistle we know what it is referring to - the whistle of a train or even a referee's whistle. Each whistle has a meaning and it communicates to us what we need to hear.