Father, I am thankful for Your presence this morning and through the night. I was up and down a fair amount, but I feel rested and ready to go for the day. May we be attentive to what You would have for us today as we gather for times of worship. Amen.
Matthew 3:1-6 (<<click here to read the passage)
John the Baptist, a man whose personality seemed as coarse as his attire, was the forerunner of Christ. He got the ball rolling by calling people to “repent from [their] sins and turn to God…” and then gave them the opportunity to publicly proclaim their repentance by being baptized in the Jordan River.
He was swayed by no one. Everyone was called to repentance, from the lowliest of the low to the highest of the high – religious and public leaders included. Much as his attire would have been, he was abrasive.
If I were trying to clean a well-used shower, I wouldn’t go about cleaning it with a handful of tissues. They would not be able to handle the job; they would just fall apart. I would use a stiff-bristled scrub brush or a sturdy wash rag of some sort.
John the Baptist was out to bring people to repentance. He wasn’t a warm-and-fuzzy kind of guy. Sin is not something that can be handled with a “tissue”. Only God, the most powerful being in the entirety of all that is, can eradicate its stain. And John was His frontman. John set the stage for who was coming. And he wasn’t out to tickle anyone’s fancy – he was prepping for a deep-to-the-core cleaning that only Jesus could bring about.
Lord, I am grateful for the sacrifice You made so that I could be cleansed of the stains I placed upon myself. I could in no way apply that deep-to-the-core cleaning to myself. Only by repenting of my sins and turning to You did that take place.
Yes, I am grateful that even today, when I get myself into things that require Your cleansing touch, You do not hesitate to offer to scrub me clean. Help me to submit to You. May I not put it off. Make me clean even now. Fill me. Use me. Amen.
(Sept 24th, 2017, Sun, 6:29 am)
June 8th, 2026, Mon, 9:13 am
