DAILY WASHING

John 13:8b  "Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

Jesus was washing the feet of the disciples and of course, Peter, being Peter, did not want the Lord to lower himself to wash His feet, but after Jesus telling him He had to wash him, Peter wanted to be drenched with the washing.

As I was reading this scripture, I thought of how when I truly turned myself to the Lord, truly after so many years of feeling that I was never going to know this love, this Annointed Presence again, I felt washed, totally washed by the blood of my Lord.  I felt clean, spotless, loved.  I know I was loved before, as I know now that my God has always loved me, He has always waited for me to come to Him, truly come.  But now, washed I knew in my heart if was so.  I was totally convinced and nothing the enemy can do will take that knowledge from me.

But each day, you know how you feel when you return home in the evenings, after being in the world all day.  I feel grimy, like I need a bath that will scrub a few layers of skin off me.  To get under my nails, totally scrub and scrub myself.  There is not enough soap and water in this world to get this kind of dirt off you after being among so many in the world that are not of the Lord.  There is but One that can clean me from all this daily activity around me.  Just as He sustains me while I am there at work, or at the store, while so many things are being done and said around me, how he protects me from harm, He also needs to take care of the daily ritual of cleansing me.

I truly believe we need to be cleansed each day, over and over.  I love my Lord and I try daily to walk in the very Christian attitude and love He places on me.  I do a pretty good job, but I have the enemy constantly throwing his darts at me, trying to get through to what would hurt or wound me.  I just feel like I need a good washing, the only kind my Lord can give, when I get home.  I need His washing my outer body just so I can feel that there is no sinful residue on me from the world.  That anything I came in contact with is gone, not to linger in my home.  I need my mind washed and renewed so I know there are no thoughts that are not of my Lord, nothing that would shame me before my King.  I need my heart washed so I know that no kind of judgment, dislike, or anger is there.  Such actions could keep me from coming into the presence of my Lord.  I need my soul washed so that joy can once again pour out all over me, like a fragrant oil, the oil of joy of my Lord.  And lastly I need my spirit washed.  I need to have my spirit cleansed and restored to be one with my God again.  I need nothing of the outside world to linger there and interfer with the communication between me and my Lord.

I realize that some will think if I was truly washed, cleansed by the blood that I should be able to stay spotless, but I find as long as we are here on this earth, with so many of the enemy's soldiers around, well you are going to get dirty.  If I just let a thought linger in my mind for a moment, I feel dirty.  If I find myself falling into the pit of saying something that is not worthy of me, a child of god; I feel dirty.  I don't like this feeling at all.  I want always to be the child my God wants me to be, that He expects me to be.  His beloved should not have anything ungodly about her.  And I do not want to be that way, so I, if you don't mind, will ask my Lord for a daily washing.  Just cleanse me, Lord, each day, to keep me spotless before You, to keep me in your presence.  Cleansed, sweet before You, knowing You are pleased with me.
A worshiper is what I am.  A worshiper is what You taught me to be.  I know I must be without blame to come before You and worship You like You desire.  I love to worship You my Lord.  I must worship You always.....You mean so much to me.  You are so good to me.  I know You love me so much and I do so want to be all You want me to be, in You.

This 7th day of May, 2011, my Lord, I stand before You, freshly cleansed today by Your blood, shed for me, worshiping You with all my heart and soul.  My spirit sings to You from my most inner being as I seek You once again this night.  I long to be with You my Lord.  I long to see Your face....