The Dirty Hands Of A Derelict

It's been a busy day. I've been pretty preoccupied with the world around me today. I've been doing work getting things designed and printed and ready to send out. I've been getting price quotes on t-shirt designs for our F.L.O. ministry and our SURV teams for PowerSource (pretty excited about those shirts) but, the thing that I've forgotten today is my time with God. Yes it's true. Today I missed my quiet time. Normally I do it in the morning right after I get to my office or before I get there in my car in the parking lot for a few a little while. I normally pull out my bible and read through some passages and meditate on them and pray through them asking God to reveal His word to me. I pray through requests that I know of and I spend some time in silence listening for God's voice. I wait for Him to move and speak to my heart.

This morning I completely didn't do any of that.

I got wrapped up first thing in my office work and reading other books than my bible. I like reading so even reading can become a distraction. One must be careful to not get so caught up reading books about God and the Christian life that they forget to spend time in the Word of God itself. I did that today. It's 10:00pm and I'm just now getting around to reading in my Bible and praying spending some time now reflecting. I normally reflect on what I've read by blogging. It's my form of journalling. I used to write a lot in a journal and I still do to some extent but, recently it's just been more natural to blog it out. Regardless, here I am. Let's begin.

Isaiah 1:29-30 (NCV)

You will be ashamed, because you have worshiped gods under the oak trees. You will be disgraced because you have worshiped idols in your gardens. You will be like and oak whose leaves are dying or like a garden without water.

This passage I read tonight it spoke pretty loudly to my described situation. God's talking to the people of Israel about their worship of idols, false gods. He says that those who have worshiped false gods will become like what they worshiped. If you worshiped under the oak tree you'll become like an oak whose leaves are dying. If you worshiped idols in your garden you'll become like a garden without water... dried up and dying. I began to think of that in light of this morning. I would consider and idol anything and everything that takes priority of or place of God in our lives at any point in time. This morning my reading and my work turned into an idol. I was so excited about reading and about designing that they took priority over my excitement to dive into God's word. It's true... it happens to all of us. So what did I become today? I became tired. I felt like the dry pages of a book filled with mans words about God rather than God's words to me.

I'm glad God forgives and I'm able to ask for that forgiveness and make things right. Earlier in this same chapter in verse 25 God says that He will clean away Israel's wrongs "as if with soap". He washes us clean if we are willing to be washed. He won't force us to be clean. We have to allow Him to clean us.

I'm reminded of a song that came out a while back by the band Mukala. As far as I know they only ever released one album. I saw them on tour with Bleach and Seven Day Jesus back in the early 90's. Their hit single was a song called "Soap" it goes like this.

I'm bleaching and scrubbing
Been rubbin' around in the dirt
Infested, Infected
My soul beginning to hurt
I'll whitewash my tombstone
So bright and white and clean
But I don't think no one can see the rot beneath

What Soap can never wash away
Deodorize or disinfect
The dirty hands of a derelict
What soap can never wash away
The blood-stained hands of a guilty man
Only Your love can

We're fickle; we're wayward
Rubbin shoulders with fallen angels
And carry epidemics
Spread around by street corner medics
We try and we try
To heal with the naked eye
And find a cure for the sinful seed
We carry in our genes

- MUKALA: "SOAP"

What are your idols?

What do you worship instead of God?

What do you need to be washed clean "as with soap" of?

Will you make things right and allow God to wash you clean?