Devotion
The Lord’s Spiritual Spring-Cleaning
David Jacobs
The hardest things to find aren't the small things, or the translucent things, or even something that has been cleverly hidden. The most difficult things to find are those that we aren't even aware that we have lost. Yet, one of the greatest delights is in finding something that you hadn't noticed was missing.
Spring cleaning is a yearly chore for many of us in the modern world. We clean our homes from bottom to top, moving things from their place and giving everything a good polish, scrub or mopping. Occasionally we find things: a book that had fallen behind a cabinet, a dollar bill that had slipped between the sofa cushions, perhaps an earring who's partner had been sitting alone in your jewelry box. The point is, until we restructure our life from bottom to top, those little treasures remain hidden from us.
Prayer
Conceptualized differently, one may say Jesus was a Messiah of reversal, to turn the world upon its head. The last first, the high made low, the sick to be healed, the sinful to be saved. Jesus himself surprised many when rode a donkey into Jerusalem – In sharp contrast to what was expected and preceded him as a King amongst men. So rejoice in his name, for he has found what was lost! The Lord came, flipped the top to the bottom in order to spring clean us all, allowing us to find hidden treasures along the way.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
