The Air I Breathe
 
Take a deep breath.  Hold it.  Now exhale.  Nice?  Will you do it again?  PLEASE?  Just for us?
 
I miss being able to do that and not worry about filling my lungs with dirt.  It is SO dry and dusty here!  Although the trees along the roadside are the most noticable, everything is covered with dirt.  You don’t even realize how dirty you are until you get in the shower.  (Then again the water is already a murky color, so it’s hard to say just how much dirt is from our bodies!)  Because it’s a never-ending cycle, we have almost given up on dusting the furniture.  However, the boys asked if they could do it for 500 shillings a week.  Pretty smart since that is one job with security!
 
It’s one thing to get dirty on the outside...it’s inevitable here.  But an important question remains--what is getting on the inside of our bodies?  We take our “worm” medicine every six months...just in case (you would, too, if you looked at the pictures of those things!).  We boil our water and then allow it to pass through two filters before we drink it...or even to boil again for spaghetti!  Now take a look at the air filter I changed the other day!  YIKES!!!
 
You know, I can’t help but think of sin as I talk about all this dirt.
 
“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”  - 1 John 1:8-10
As long as we live in this world, we will get dirty from time to time from the sin that is all around us (1 John 1:8).  But as easily as dirt washes off God willingly forgives our sin (1 John 1:9).  But by no means are we to think lightly about getting dirty (i.e., sinning).  We need to keep it in proper perspective.  We learn from Paul that when God saves us, He removes the power and penalty of sin from our lives (e.g., Romans 6).  Yet, we still must deal with the presence of sin.  I think it’s inevitable that we will get our hands and our minds dirty...even as followers of Jesus Christ.  
 
“Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
      Who may stand in his holy place?
 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure...”
                                - Psalm 24:3-4
 
God makes our hands clean each time we confess and He forgives.  God makes our hearts clean, too.  But there’s a difference.  I still have the same hands as when I was born--they’re just bigger and get dirtier.  BUT I have a completely new heart (2 Corinthians 5:17).  It’s free from sin’s captivity, clean from all sinfulness and able to bring God glory.  Because of God’s work in regenerating my heart, I can worship Him...I can know Him...I can enjoy Him.  Sin cannot reverse what God has done in my heart.  If I continue desiring and dwelling in sin, then I haven’t been changed--purified to begin with.  
 
Thank You, God, for making me clean...completely.  Now this is the air I breathe...You’re holy presence living in me!
Saturday, December 1, 2007