Washed In The Word

My husband and I had an opportunity to visit a family member and his family before COVID-19 for a week.   On the second day of our visit, I sat in the kitchen catching up on family events with his wife.  I noticed dishes were piled up in the sink and on the counters, unwashed, and she had clean dishes still in a dish drain waiting to be put away.

Encased in her bottom cupboard was a brand new dish washer, ready to wash and sterilize her dishes with hot water.  I was curious, so I had to ask, “why don’t you use your dishwasher to wash all these dishes?”  She replied, “I don’t use dishwashers because you have to rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, besides she said, I don’t trust the water in dishwashers to wash my dishes, so I wash my dishes by hand!”  I replied to her that dishwashers have a “no rinse” feature so that you don’t have to rinse your dishes first, plus the dishwasher would sterilize your dishes.  Her answer that made me remain quiet was “my mother always washed dishes by hand and so will I!”

How foolish!  I thought “you would have dishes pile up until you have time to wash them, rather than put them in the dishwasher to be washed with steaming hot water!”

Rehearsing this conversation in my mind that evening, I begin to think about this in a spiritual application. Many times in the Bible washing is symbolic for “washing in the word.”  This family member wanted to wash dishes by hand because she didn’t believe in the function and ability of the dishwasher and wanted to use the old tradition of washing dishes by hand. 

In my opinion this scenario reminded me of men with a “religious spirit.”  A religious spirit says “I have always done it this way, and will not change, I will be in control of my own destiny.  There is more than one way to God!”

On the other hand, trusting the dishwasher to clean your dishes reminds me of a man in the spirit trusting Holy Spirit to wash him or her clean with the word.  They say, “I will allow the word to cleanse me of the dirt and baggage accumulated over the years.  I will trust the word to teach me, I will allow the word to guide me according to God’s plan for my life.

Unfortunately, with laws being passed offering many immoral liberties to young and old, that oppose the Word of God, many are confused.  The Bible calls these iniquities, which is changing the Word of God to accommodate lifestyles or sins that oppose God’s laws.   These manmade laws can’t bring healing or life to anyone.  Instead, they bring about confusion and hopelessness.

Psalm 119 is one the longest Psalms in the Bible with detailed instructions for living a life of hope and healing for the mind, body and soul.  For instance, Psalms 119:9 (KJV) asks the reader, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”  The Psalmist is asking how can a man be made clean?  The answer:  by obeying the word of God!  The cleansing power of the word of God can transform anyone that is willing to allow the Word of God to wash them clean.

In Psalms 51:2 (KJV) the Psalmist cries out “wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

And Hebrews 10:22( KJV) encourages us to “….draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

The three scriptures above teach us the only way for living a godly life is to have our bodies washed with the Word and having our hearts “sprinkled” (purged or cleansed) with the Word.

Friends, the Word of God is the only remedy for mankind.  We all need our bodies washed with the pure water of the Word for purging of sin and iniquities.  Because the Word of God is alive and active, it can transform anyone that allows the Word to wash them clean, and we don’t have to rinse ourselves off first.

My life is an example of being washed and transformed by the Word.  My personal journey began at the age of 9 when my Mother started planting seeds from the Word to me every day when reading the Bible. The seeds planted gave me an awareness of God, such as His power and testimonies in the lives of others.  By the time I was in my 20’s, I wanted to personally know the God of the Bible for myself.  Within the next three years God begin directing my steps as I sought to seek Him.  It was a miracle, to me, how God used others to guide me to a little church 30 minutes from my home to give my life to Him through salvation.  Since then, I have been on a progressive journey of being washed and sprinkled with the Word.  Year by year, the Word of God has transformed me to the god-fearing person I am today.  I encourage everyone to allow the Word to wash them for a transforming life that only God can offer and do for you and me.

I would like to sum this post by stating that the Children of God should never cast aside the truth of God’s word for manmade laws that turn evil into good and good into evil.  God loves righteousness and hates evil!  The Word of God teaches “love” not hate is the answer!  The Word of God teaches the “way” for eternal life!  The Word of God teaches that this world as we know it will one day be purged of all evil and only those that follow Jesus Christ with a pure heart will be a part of the new earth.  When we obey God’s word we can draw near unto Him with a pure heart and He will draw near to us.

Note:  the Book of Proverbs is an excellent book for learning how to avoid the religious spirit of false religion and the evils to avoid.