Verse of the Day 5/29
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice. English Standard Version (ESV)
The other day I had the opportunity to tie dye a shirt, something that was quite common back in the 60's and 70's. It was fun and we had many colors to choose from. The shirt would be tied and then you'd dip it into different colored dyes. The next day day I removed it from the back and it looked good. I had chosen red and blue ink, thinking that along with the white, I'd have a good shirt for the 4th of July. When I first removed it, it looked great! But I had to go and rinse out the excess dye. Well, I was not careful enough to use very cold water so that the colors wouldn't run. I didn't let it cool down from the tap before rinsing. After rinsing most of the white areas were now pink and it could not be removed (that I know of).
The next day I read today's verses from Psalm 51. I'd like to make the white on that shirt whiter than snow again, but try as I may, I don't have the power to restore it, to make it pure again. So it is with sin in our lives. We all have different sins that we may struggle with and once we've been stained, dyed, we don't have the power in ourselves to restore ourselves, to make us clean before God. It is only His forgiveness and His grace which can accomplish that.
The reference to the hyssop plant is of significance. It was a leafy plant that would hold moisture. It was used in the Old Testament to sprinkle blood on a person to make them ceremonially clean. It was also used in the Passover to spread the blood over the door frames, so that God would "pass over" it and not bring judgment on the first born of the house. It was also used in the New Testament to offer a drink of sour wine to Jesus on the cross where Jesus paid it all, made it possible to wash us clean forever.
I love The Message translation from a little later in the passage:
"God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me."
When we sin, only God can cleanse and restore us and from the chaos restore order, re-create us, do a "Genesis"work in our lives and enable us to live again.
I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."
Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
-- In Christ, Mike Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
Psalm 51:7-17The Message (MSG)
7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,
scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don't look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I'll let loose with your praise.
16-17 Going through the motions doesn't please you,
a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
don't for a moment escape God's notice.
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