This is a
reprint (my washing machine is fine, thank God), but my heart is weary and I've been singing this song the last couple days. It's okay to cry
out when you're weary. Know that you are never alone.
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come
from?” I answered,
“Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of
the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his
temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelations 7:13-17 (NIV)
It looked like my washing machine was dead. It was behaving like it was on its last legs,
though I didn’t think that this time was its time. I actually thought I could fix it.
It must be this way with Jesus. No matter what our failing, no matter how far
we’ve fallen, He intercedes for us with the Father, and we are made whole. We get fixed.
Can you imagine being one of those, released from the great tribulation,
who would serve day and night in the temple? No to-do lists, no chores, no
afterschool activities, no LAUNDRY, just praise while we are sheltered in His
presence.
My washing machine kept stopping, mid-cycle, with a basin
full of water. It wouldn’t drain. It flashed an error code F-21, so I went to
the Internet to do some research. Who
knew I could reliably solve the problem myself? I got my DH to buy in to my
being a little adventurous….I really felt I could solve the problem, and I
did. I joyfully called my husband and
immediately reported that he owed me about $350 (hey, I didn’t go into NYC to
get my hair colored and styled, AND I repaired our Kenmore HE front
loader). Laughing, he said whatever it
cost, it was worth it.
What would you pay to get it all fixed? Not the stuff, but
your stuff. What would you pay for joy,
for blessed assurance, for the knowing, deep down, that you are redeemed and
free?
Today’s lesson comes from the appliance section. Just as I knew (or hoped, against hope) that
it wasn’t my washer’s time yet, we are assured that we are always redeemable by
the blood of the lamb. Like my washer, after
days of being water-logged, not working properly, stopping mid-cycle, we are
still not beyond His love. Whew…
What, or who, have you written off lately? Did you do so
prematurely? What if you had the power to fix it? You do…we all do…because no matter what has
happened, no matter what you said, or did, or didn’t do, there is abundance in
you, just like the abundance I continually discover in my continually amusing
life. And therein lay my daily blessing...my day's evidence that
God is Good.
On Mondays, I pray and play with friends here...
