For the last several weeks, I have felt that we, as the Church, need to take a bath. After a long and brutal election cycle, emotion and opinion ran wild. We watched as words were tossed around like verbal dirt clods striking anyone who was standing in the way. We have taken in drama never intended for our ears to hear or our hearts to carry. Some of this dirt has been self-applied when the fruit of self-control was not present to direct our words and actions.
As I pondered this today, I saw the image of a beautiful claw-foot tub drawn with the warm water of God’s presence. The Lord approached His bride asking her to disrobe. He took her by the hand and helped her step into the waiting bath water slipping down into its warm and inviting presence. He began to wash her with words of love. As He spoke, He gently scrubbed away the soil that came from disputes of unbridled emotion and assumption. He washed away the pain of unkind words from her face. He scrubbed away the wounds of dishonor from her back.
When the bath was finished the bride stood before the Lord fresh and clean. As she stood in His presence, the Lord said, “Remember this feeling. I did this washing at the moment of your salvation and I will continue to do this each time you come to me. I will be faithful to wash you in every season of your life when you step away and become soiled. When you return, I will always be waiting for you to wash you and restore you with words of tender love. My passion is to present you holy and without spot before the Father. I never tire of this washing. Always be willing to come to Me knowing that a bath of My love is always drawn and awaiting your arrival.”
“Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 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.” 5:25-27
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