Wednesday, July 7: Grace like rain

Yesterday morning, the first day of tennis camp was a real challenge, as a light mist continued to fall throughout the morning. Typically, when the court is even nominally wet, I cancel the lesson, but I decided to work on aspects of the game that did not require quick footwork, as the lines become very slick when wet. By the end of the morning, we were all soaked, not from perspiration, but from the permeating mist. It’s amazing how such a small amount of precipitation can soak us to the bone! Being soaked might not have a positive connotation to us, but there are benefits:


25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:25-27


In this passage, we are given the example of how husbands are to love their wives, with the same sacrificial love that Jesus had for His church. Jesus has sanctified and cleansed us by washing us with the water of His Word. Walking through this dirty world, we cannot help but have some of the world rub off on us, and sometimes, it stays on us for a while. Each day, we need to hose that dirt off by reading the Bible, allowing God to cleanse us! Would you ever consider going to work covered in dirt and mud, or would you be embarrassed to have your co-workers see you in such an unclean state? We don’t always focus on the fact that our spiritual condition is much more important than our physical condition. God’s desire for us is that we are holy and without blemish, but He knows us better than we know ourselves, and understands that we cannot live sin-free lives. He has given us a way of escape, as He always does! He wants to wash the sin away before that dirt becomes so encrusted on us that it becomes a part of us! Don’t let the dirt stay on so long that it cakes on you and changes your appearance! You don’t want to become the creature from the black lagoon.

Just like that slippery tennis court, sin is a slippery slope that leads to a toppling fall. Without the sin remedy of Jesus Christ, that sin always will lead us to exactly the same place. Though there are many people in this world who believe they live charmed lives with all of their possessions, vacations and riches, without a Savior they are lost! Don’t get so caught up in this world that you forget who put you here, and why He still has you here. It is for His glory. Stay in His Word and share with others the amazing answers He gives to the questions of life! Just as the mist that soaks us to the bone, a little bit of God’s Word every day will wash you clean!


To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
 Revelation 1:5-6