Heather came running into the kitchen saying, “I’m home, Moy. When do we eat?”
“Soon, dear. Where have you been?” her mother asked as she turned to face a very dirty little girl.
“In the field playing with Barbie and some other kids,” answered Heather. “She showed us how to make mud pies. She made them on that big, old log, while we got mud from the edge of the creek. It was really fun!”
“Maybe it was,” said Mother, “but you can’t eat at the table until you’re all cleaned up. You’re a mess!”
“I’m pretty clean,” Heather said quickly. “I washed my hands in the creek.” But when Mother rolled up the sleeves of Heather’s sweater, they both could see her arms were still quite dirty. Off to the bathroom went Heather to scrub her hands, just like Mother had asked her to do.
Now, while Heather is scrubbing her hands, let’s stop and think for a minute about what this story tells us. Mud stains on our skin and clothes can be washed off. But sin stains on our hearts are far worse. Sin stains are on the inside, and there is nothing we can do to wash them off. Let’s remember what God says about a sin-stained heart: “Take heed... lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief... hardened through... sin.” Hebrews 3:12,1312Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:12‑13).
Heather returned to the kitchen, saying, “I think they’re clean now. Anyway, the other kids’ hands were a lot dirtier than mine!”
Mother looked again at Heather’s hands. “That won’t do,” she said. “Look at those dirty fingernails! You can’t eat until they’re clean.”
So Heather went off again to scrub some more. Perhaps you don’t think that your sin-stained heart is as bad as “the other kids'.” Maybe you think their lives and hearts are much worse than yours. But let’s remember, God is looking at you. No amount of washing or good deeds can wash the sins from your heart. If you want to live with God in heaven, then He must say that you are clean.
“I can’t get all the dirt out,” Heather called from the bathroom. Mother went in to help. She added a little extra soap to Heather’s fingernails and a little more to her knuckles. Then with some more scrubbing and after a final rinse, she was clean. Mother gave her clean hands a kiss and said, “Now my little girl is clean. You may come to supper.”
Mother helped Heather get her hands clean, but God has to do it all for you. God does it all Himself without our help, and then He says that we are clean. Won’t you ask Him to do it for you? You can’t get clean by yourself. The Bible says your sins are “red like crimson,” but He can make them “white as snow.” (See Isaiah 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18).) Then we are ready to live with God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in His home in heaven. Then we will sing that wonderful song in Revelation chapter 1: “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood... to Him be glory and dominion Forever and ever.”
ML-06/14/1981