Time to Clean

“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil.”

Isaiah 1:16 ESV

Am I the only person who keeps my house clean because my mother may decide to make an unannounced visit?

I make sure my counters and stove are wiped clean, and I keep the clutter at bay thanks to an unused bedroom with a locking door. Laundry may sit, unfolded, for a day or two, but all in all, my house is decent and well­-kept when people come to visit.

I had the thought, while wiping down my counters, that my spiritual life should be a mirror of my home. I mean, what happens if God decides to drop by unexpectedly? Am I ready? Is my house in order?

I think not.

We are commanded to wash, be made clean and “cease to do evil” in today’s verse. But, how many of us have a spiritual spare bedroom with a lock on the door?

God sees beyond the door. He has the key. How many leave our spiritual laundry for another, more convenient, time for folding?

Nothing should be more important than making sure that our spiritual dirty laundry is washed, dried and put away by airing it before the Lord through prayer.

He should be the One who comes over to help us when we’re behind. Once it’s done, the table is wiped clean and we’re made new in His love. None of us know the time He will return (Matthew 24:36).

We must all be ready.

Let us pray for a spiritual house cleaning so that we can be ready for God’s unannounced visits:

Father, we thank You for Your promise to love us unconditionally; even when we’re not prepared to receive Your love. We ask that You give us the eyes to see into every corner of our soul and help to reach the dirt and cobwebs needing to be removed. We ask that You provide us with friends who will help us in the task of cleaning up our lives rather than adding to the dirt. We want to present ourselves in the best way possible to You when the time comes. All of this we ask in Your Son, Jesus’, precious name. Amen.

Guest devotion by Angela Brouillette. Angela is a married mother of three beautiful children and grandmother of one sweet grandson. She works full time for the Louisiana National Guard and devotes much of her free time to sharing Christian thoughts via social media. Her blog is at prissypinkpelican.tumblr.com; Facebook at The Prissy Pink Pelican; and Twitter @PrissyPelican.