Washed by the Word...What a Sweet Aroma!

Today, it was one of those very practical moments when the Lord illuminated His Word in my heart and showed me an amazing principle. I have the very unglamourous job of being a stay at home mom, living with my parents temporarily, so that means doing laundry daily for six (soon to be more) people. I used to hate doing laundry, but over time, have grown to love the tedious job of washing, drying and folding! Today, as I grabbed a garment out of the dryer, I took a moment to hold it to my face and breathe in the fresh clean scent...it pleased me. Then, this message started building in my heart....I thought of how God says He washes us in the Word to make us pure and clean, and then I thought....after we are washed and purified by His cleansing blood, what a sweet smelling aroma we give off. It is the aroma of Christ to a dying world. It is an aroma of purity, cleanliness, holiness and truth. Oh, how the Father must to love breathe in the freshness of how He has recreated us in Christ's image. The Word also says that our prayers are like incense going up before the throne of God. He showed me all this through a normal day of doing laundry....pretty amazing, God!

As I began to meditate on how God cleanses us, He gave me a few scriptures to share with you all to illustrate this principle:

Ephesians 5:25-27 (NKJV):

"Husbands, love your wives, just as 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 would be holy and without blemish."

The thought that came to me is that clothes go through a process of being washed for impurities, stains, etc. then they are dried to make them without wrinkle or blemish. In the process of laundry, the articles of clothing are covered in the water (Word of God) and then they are put into a spin cycle. Have you ever been in a spin cycle when God was washing YOU by His Word? I sure have felt that way. Then...He takes us out of the washer after spinning and throws us into this HOT dryer....and spins us some more! Finally, like the clothes we wash, we are taken out of the dryer, spotless and wrinkle-free and folded to be useful to the people who need us most!

Ezekiel 36:24-26 (NKJV):

"For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Also,

2 Corinthians 7:1-3 (NKJV):

"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV):

"Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Although there are many scriptures speaking of the cleansing that God performs in our bodies, hearts and souls, this is the last one to mention here:

Hebrews 10:19-23 (NKJV):

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

The first thing we must do is submit our lives and hearts to God, confessing that He alone (through the blood of Jesus) can wash away all of our impurities, our sin, and our evil conscience. We must come to Him by faith in His Word, and His promise of salvation from eternal damnation for our sins, and we must SUBMIT to Him putting us through the process of sanctification (purifying us, making us holy). We must allow Him to throw us into the washing machine, and we must perservere, so that one day we come out the dryer spotless, without wrinkle or blemish, and smelling of the sweet aroma of Christ.

This may change the way you perceive doing laundry, forever. May God bless you today with faith upon the hearing of His Word, and may He bring you into acknowledging that you need His free gift of salvation, and the following process of sanctification to become whole and clean in His sight. May God grant you peace with Him today in Jesus' name. Amen.

God bless you!

Sarah