Look How Dirty

Do you have a certain day you do your deep cleaning in your house? Tuesday is the day I roll up my sleeves and do all the things I don’t do on a daily basis. I’m not gonna dust every day, neither will I mop, clean baseboards, etc… This week, my best friend and her family are visiting, so, I did my deep cleaning on Monday. I didn’t want the weight of putting my deep cleaning off to be lingering over my head. Nor did I want to make our guests feel uncomfortable as I got down to business.

This summer, I have traveled a lot. I got to spend so much time with my daughters and doing things in the ministry. It has been a busy but fun summer. I say all of this because there is one area of my home that I’ve just “spot” cleaned. I mean, if it got messy, I’d clean that area and go on. Every deep clean day, I was like ehhhh…. Nah, I’ll do it next week. I kept procrastinating. If we all are honest, we all have an area in our lives or homes we put off until another day. That dreaded chore…mopping the whole house. Ugh… not my favorite at all!!! I meant that this week it was getting done. So I got my mop, bucket, cleaner and went to town baby.

I started in the bedrooms with my mop. Next I moved to the bathrooms. Oh my word, I had to change the water. It was so dirty. I was in complete shock. It didn’t look that dirty to me. As I moved down the hall I began fussing for putting off this chore. It would have been much easier if I had done it weekly like I was supposed to. But nooooo, I thought it looked ok. I was appalled at the kitchen, dining room and living room areas. Really I was disgusted! Why do I do this to myself?!

As I was lying in bed Monday night thinking about my day this verse popped into my mind. So I turned in my Bible to Psalms 119 and started reading. God spoke to my heart in His gentle way of correction.

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Psalm 119:9

The sweet Spirit of God began to use the events of the day to point out areas of my life that needed cleansing. Just like the passed over chore, there were things in my heart that I just brushed over quickly and didn’t take heed to. If I am to live a victorious Christian life I need to guard my heart from sin and the world. I need His hedge of protection about me, His armour of righteousness. I want my heart to be spic and span, and not let the filth of the world stain me.

Here the Psalmist tells us how a young (old) man can cleanse his way. He can get out the trusty ole “Mop” of the Word of God and get to scrubbing.

First I see, I need to get into His Word daily. Do you read your Bible daily? Or do you just read to say you’ve read? Ummm… to be honest, I am guilty on that one sometimes, I read to just say I read. Every day I should delight myself in His Word. I need fresh manna every morning. It helps protect me from things that tempt me to sin.

I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Psalm 119:16

Getting into my Bible and making it my number one focus, helps me keep my eyes on Him. I don’t want to sin. I don’t like the dirty feeling of not being right with my Lord. When temptation comes (and it will), His Word will give me a way of escape. I won’t want to sin because my delight will be on those things that please Him.

I love Bible memorization, I mean, I love it. My girls were barely talking when I starting teaching them scripture. Do you memorize? I found an easy way is by using notecards or a monthly scripture writing plan. I write the verses out and put them in different places so that I see them.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalm 119:11

Hiding His Word in our hearts keeps us from letting dirt (sin) build up in our lives. If it’s planted and taken root it will spring forth with life. His Word is alive. That means it continually has the power to cleanse, heal and make anew. I challenge you, as well as my self, to pick a verse and memorize it today.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

Lastly, protect yourself daily. We all sin, we can’t help it. It’s that sin nature passed down to us from Adam. Although we have this sinful flesh, we do not have to live every single day in it. When we sin. And I say, WHEN because we all will.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:10

Immediately when we sin, ask for forgiveness. Don’t let that filth stay there any longer. By not confessing right away, it builds up and we sin more and more. Before long you’ve got a dirty floor of your heart that is weighing you down. It will rob you of your joy and peace. You’ll begin to view the things of the world as not so bad anymore. You begin to not guard or protect your heart like you once did.

Having a clean heart and fellowship with our Father gives a peace that is unspeakable and full of glory.

Today my friend, roll up those sleeves and get your mop and bucket out. Let the Word of God cleanse you from anything that you may have been putting off.

Get into His Word today.