Isaiah 1:16-20
Oh, wash yourselves! Be clean! Let
me no longer see you doing all these wicked things; quit your evil ways.
Learn to do good, to be fair, and to help the poor, the fatherless, and
widows.
Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how
deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as
freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can
make you white as wool! If you will only let me help you, if you will
only obey, then I will make you rich! But if you keep on turning your
backs and refusing to listen to me, you will be killed by your enemies;
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
When we spill something on
our clothing…the carpet…or the couch, our first instinct is to grab a
cloth or sponge and start rubbing! Often, the result is that we push
the stain further into the fibers and make permanent removal more
difficult – if not a near impossibility. Today, there are all sorts of
cleaners and sprays that can be applied to essentially “fizz” the stain
out and dissolve it. You have to be careful…some of the “oxi” treatments
can actually bleach the material(s). But much of the time, these
“treatments” work beautifully and can save a lot of trouble and
disappointment.
The kids are always saying, “Aww…I spilled XYZ on
my shirt.” I find that I am often telling them, “That’s okay…I can get
that out…” or “I’ll wash it, and everything will be fine.” (And
sometimes, I find myself scrubbing and “fizzing” a stain that proved
more difficult to remove than I imagined!)
Do you see where I am
headed? We are the “children” – God is the parent. We stain our
lives…He removes the blemishes. Sometimes, the “stains” have been
rubbed in…we’ve worked them over pretty well! Other times, the sin is
just so big that it takes more “elbow grease” to get it out, once and
for all. But God is able to do all of this…if only we will humbly admit
our errors and ask Him to forgive us and wash us clean!
OUR JOB
is to do all that we can to “get clean” - and stay that way…to be
careful with our words and actions. We must care for others and serve
God according to His directions…and never, ever “rub the stain of sin”
further into our lives. Some of us are so stubborn. We want to have
things our way…to turn our backs on the word and wisdom of God and do as
we please. This is our choice…but we must understand that we are also
choosing to risk the consequences of God’s displeasure.
Just
because we give our hearts to Jesus doesn’t mean that we can “stain our
shirts” and assume that He will clean up the mess. With redemption
comes responsibility…and we should be so grateful to Jesus for His
salvation that we would be willing to do anything and everything to
honor Him.
So I ask you today…what’s on your shirt? Have you
rubbed in the stain or tried to cover it up? Or have you made every
effort to allow God to clean you, once and for all…and worked hard to
keep things neat and tidy as you move forward? Will this be the day that
He washes you “whiter than snow”…and you make every effort to stay that
way? Don’t you think it should be?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label stain of sin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stain of sin. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 16, 2016
Isaiah 1:18
Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My
sister Suzanne had a birthday last week, and a childhood friend shared a
photo with us of one of HIS birthday parties, which she and I
attended. We must have been about 6 and 7 in the picture, and I had on a
red checked dress (that I am positive my mother made) with white
ruffles down the bodice. I had an almost instant recollection of a red
checked dress that very well may have been this same one. I was playing
in our yard one spring/summer day, and I picked up the neighbor’s
kitten. It promptly pooped all down the front of my dress. My mother
was VERY upset…and we were forbidden to ever play with kittens again!
No doubt, Mother had a cleaning challenge on her hands…and I cannot recall if there was a permanent stain on the dress. Today, we have all sorts of Pinterest “sure-fire” stain removers… Tide® pens…OxiClean™…Shout®…and more. Still, there are some stains that cannot be removed. But today’s children will never quite know the angst that WE experienced as youngsters when we got a stain on our clothing. I can remember being quite worried about the trouble I would get in for getting my clothes dirty…can’t you?
This is such a comforting scripture verse. As I read it, I was instantly transported back to childhood…but this time, I heard the Master saying, “It’s okay…come on over here and snuggle with Me, and I’ll take care of that stain. I know it looks bad right now…but it will be as good as new soon!” What comfort lies in these words! How blessed we are to know that Jesus can fix ANYTHING…and that He is ready and willing to do so!
Several times, I have told Timothy, Zola and Nathan a version of this…”Don’t worry…I’ll fix that”…or “I can get that pizza/strawberry/chocolate stain out!” But there will be plenty of things in life - including a few “marks” - that I cannot remove. Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus can…and will? I am so comforted to know that we ALL have a refuge in Jesus…and He truly does wash us as white as snow.
You may have the perfect solutions to soils and stains in your laundry cabinet. But I can guarantee you that the ultimate “Stain Remover” is only a prayer away. If you have not surrendered to Jesus, please stop and invite Him into your heart today. Run to His open arms…snuggle against His chest…and let Him remove every single stain, once and for all. Know that His “Tide® pen” is always handy when we stumble and get into something we shouldn’t.
All we have to do is call on Jesus, and He will restore us to pristine condition! I will never forget that red checked dress – or the day I upset my mother – but I know that she got over it. Better yet, I know that Jesus does not hold a grudge…or keep a list of my past transgressions. They have truly been washed “as clean as fresh fallen snow”- and “white as wool” – and it doesn’t get any better. Isn’t it time you asked Jesus to handle your stains, once and for all? Will this be the day that He makes you forever clean?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Laverne/Steve James |
No doubt, Mother had a cleaning challenge on her hands…and I cannot recall if there was a permanent stain on the dress. Today, we have all sorts of Pinterest “sure-fire” stain removers… Tide® pens…OxiClean™…Shout®…and more. Still, there are some stains that cannot be removed. But today’s children will never quite know the angst that WE experienced as youngsters when we got a stain on our clothing. I can remember being quite worried about the trouble I would get in for getting my clothes dirty…can’t you?
This is such a comforting scripture verse. As I read it, I was instantly transported back to childhood…but this time, I heard the Master saying, “It’s okay…come on over here and snuggle with Me, and I’ll take care of that stain. I know it looks bad right now…but it will be as good as new soon!” What comfort lies in these words! How blessed we are to know that Jesus can fix ANYTHING…and that He is ready and willing to do so!
Several times, I have told Timothy, Zola and Nathan a version of this…”Don’t worry…I’ll fix that”…or “I can get that pizza/strawberry/chocolate stain out!” But there will be plenty of things in life - including a few “marks” - that I cannot remove. Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus can…and will? I am so comforted to know that we ALL have a refuge in Jesus…and He truly does wash us as white as snow.
You may have the perfect solutions to soils and stains in your laundry cabinet. But I can guarantee you that the ultimate “Stain Remover” is only a prayer away. If you have not surrendered to Jesus, please stop and invite Him into your heart today. Run to His open arms…snuggle against His chest…and let Him remove every single stain, once and for all. Know that His “Tide® pen” is always handy when we stumble and get into something we shouldn’t.
All we have to do is call on Jesus, and He will restore us to pristine condition! I will never forget that red checked dress – or the day I upset my mother – but I know that she got over it. Better yet, I know that Jesus does not hold a grudge…or keep a list of my past transgressions. They have truly been washed “as clean as fresh fallen snow”- and “white as wool” – and it doesn’t get any better. Isn’t it time you asked Jesus to handle your stains, once and for all? Will this be the day that He makes you forever clean?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 25, 2015
Isaiah 1:18
Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Thanks to Pinterest and posts on Facebook, I have a new favorite stain remover. It’s a concoction of 3% hydrogen peroxide, water, and a few drops of Dawn® dish soap! For things like shower grout and other tough stains, I found a recipe that also adds baking soda. I mixed all of these ingredients in a spray bottle that I purchased at Dollar Tree®. A few hours later, I heard this little hissing sound in my laundry room. The “power” of this mixture caused the plastic to swell and spring a tiny hole…and the cleaner was spraying out onto the counter!
I moved the cleaning solution to a sturdier container, and I made a mental note that this was obviously strong stuff! I love to spray the shower tile and watch the grout brighten – with little to no scrubbing. When Zola spilled ketchup down the front of her dress, I sprayed the peroxide/Dawn mixture on the stain, dabbed at it with a damp cloth, and all traces of ketchup totally disappeared. It feels good to know that I am able to clean even the deepest of stains and not harm the soiled surface – or the environment. And this solution smells fantastic!
I am amazed that a combination of ingredients that will clean shower grout, remove ketchup stains and more, and disinfect in the process is also incredibly gentle. I feel safe using it around children and pets…and confident that things are really clean. If you stop and think about it, you could apply this to Jesus. He is the most gentle, loving, kind and caring Friend we will ever know…and yet, He can make all of our sins disappear with a whisper. He can literally wash us as white as freshly fallen snow or lamb’s wool. It doesn’t matter how old or deep the stain is…or how huge and ugly the blemish appears…Jesus can erase it all with His powerful yet gentle touch.
It doesn’t matter who you are or how hard you try…I’m willing to bet you have at least one stained garment in your closet or drawer…and a stain or two of sin on your heart. We are human, imperfect…in need of a good washing from Jesus Christ. And He is the ultimate “Stain Remover.”
There is no need for us to be martyrs…to carry our sins and blemishes around like some sort of “badge of shame.” Jesus is ready, willing and able to remove them all. He’s waiting…with arms wide open…saying, “C’mon…let’s talk this over. I can fix things.” Aren’t you ready to let Him? Will this be the day that you truly “come clean?”
©2015 Debbie Robus
Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool!
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Thanks to Pinterest and posts on Facebook, I have a new favorite stain remover. It’s a concoction of 3% hydrogen peroxide, water, and a few drops of Dawn® dish soap! For things like shower grout and other tough stains, I found a recipe that also adds baking soda. I mixed all of these ingredients in a spray bottle that I purchased at Dollar Tree®. A few hours later, I heard this little hissing sound in my laundry room. The “power” of this mixture caused the plastic to swell and spring a tiny hole…and the cleaner was spraying out onto the counter!
I moved the cleaning solution to a sturdier container, and I made a mental note that this was obviously strong stuff! I love to spray the shower tile and watch the grout brighten – with little to no scrubbing. When Zola spilled ketchup down the front of her dress, I sprayed the peroxide/Dawn mixture on the stain, dabbed at it with a damp cloth, and all traces of ketchup totally disappeared. It feels good to know that I am able to clean even the deepest of stains and not harm the soiled surface – or the environment. And this solution smells fantastic!
I am amazed that a combination of ingredients that will clean shower grout, remove ketchup stains and more, and disinfect in the process is also incredibly gentle. I feel safe using it around children and pets…and confident that things are really clean. If you stop and think about it, you could apply this to Jesus. He is the most gentle, loving, kind and caring Friend we will ever know…and yet, He can make all of our sins disappear with a whisper. He can literally wash us as white as freshly fallen snow or lamb’s wool. It doesn’t matter how old or deep the stain is…or how huge and ugly the blemish appears…Jesus can erase it all with His powerful yet gentle touch.
It doesn’t matter who you are or how hard you try…I’m willing to bet you have at least one stained garment in your closet or drawer…and a stain or two of sin on your heart. We are human, imperfect…in need of a good washing from Jesus Christ. And He is the ultimate “Stain Remover.”
There is no need for us to be martyrs…to carry our sins and blemishes around like some sort of “badge of shame.” Jesus is ready, willing and able to remove them all. He’s waiting…with arms wide open…saying, “C’mon…let’s talk this over. I can fix things.” Aren’t you ready to let Him? Will this be the day that you truly “come clean?”
©2015 Debbie Robus
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