Washed By Jesus
Pennye Jacobs Lewis and i had our two youngest grandgirls this past weekend, just enjoyin their company and lettin em hang out like they were college dorm mates or somethin. They’re 8. While lounging on the couch, I took another opportunity to pick on Merritt, who was the only one there at the time. She’d just took her bath and come back in the livin room where me and Pennye were, plopped between us, to settle in with her i-pad. Pennye: “Did you take a good bath ?” … Merritt: “Yes ma’am” … Me: “Lemme see”, so i leaned over to sniff her hair. Me: “ You don’t smell like shampoo” … Pennye: “ She doesn’t wash her hair every night, Pep” … ( along with a stern look from Merritt ) … Me: “ Oh. Did you use deodorant ? Do you use deodorant ?” Merritt nods her head. Me: “ Really ?! Like under your armpits ?!” ( i legitimately didn’t know at what age a kid ( especially a girl ) starts using deodorant ). Merritt gives me another look; like what planet have you been livin on ? … and quickly asks, “ Where do you think I use it, on my forehead ?!?” I was schooled by an 8 year old. 😂🤣😁 As long as kids have been kids, baths haven’t been too high on the priority scale. Sure…gettin in a tub of bubbles is entertaining, but it doesn’t constitute “bathing”…in the sense of getting good and clean. Rinsing off ain’t bathing … just sayin. That ol’, wet-the-rag and the bar of soap trick’s been used by many a boy over the years…and I’m certain, by a few little girls, too. Can’t hide stink, though. So many of us grownups wanna use the same trick / technique when it comes to cleanin up our act. We’ll try playin games with God…doin the “church” thing, sayin all the right phrases and tryin to “earn” His blessings and favor. We treat God like a rich uncle… thinkin we can play Him like we do a stranger … and what we don’t realize is, He’s already onto us…already knows our hearts and whether we’re sincere or not. “God doesn’t look at things as humans do. Humans see what is only visible to the eyes, but the LORD sees the heart”( 1 Samuel 16:7 ). If we’re still tryin to live in our flesh…livin for this world and self, we’re never gonna be clean, much less content and righteous. Serving two masters will keep us smellin foul … and bring us nothin but shame, destruction and regret ( Matthew 6:24 ) ! If we would but give up the fight and turn it all over to Jesus, He would fight FOR us ! There’s no other cleansing like the cleansing of the LORD ! Jesus shed his blood, once, for all … the life he lives ( and the one WE can live ), is then, lived for God ( Romans 6:10 ). There’s no comparison ! Just ask anyone that’s lived both sides of that fence ! The Psalmist said it like this … “ Surely I was sinful at birth…Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” ( Psalm 51:5-7 ). Until and unless we get washed by Jesus, we’ll remain stinky. There’s no sin too hard for Him to wash off. Won’t you come to Him and finally be clean ?!? You’ll never look back with regret on the day you surrender to Christ, completely. It’s the best bath you’ll ever get !