Day 341, 7th August: Zechariah, 3 John and Psalms
My Filthy New Top
By Jacob Farley, Soul Survivor:Called to Lead
Todays Readings Are:
Zechariah 1:1-4:14
3 John 1-14
Psalm 139:11-16
As I write this I can hear the washing machine spinning. My dirty clothes from the last few days are being washed clean. I wish Joshua had thought to do this before he came before an angel of God! It’s a bit rude to turn up in ‘filthy clothes’, but the problem is no matter how hard I try to clean myself up, the best I will ever be able to dress up in before God is filthy rags.
On the cross Jesus took our filthy rags of sin upon himself: He dressed himself in our disgrace. Then, in his death, he washed them clean with his blood so he can say to us, like he did to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.” (3:4) We are no longer dressed in sin but in purity, beautiful new us because of Jesus.
How should we respond? Walk around in our newfound cleanliness and try and keep our selves clean? No! Lets get this new outfit Jesus gave us filthy. Jesus didn’t tiptoe around this world trying to be good – he got down in the dirt and washed our feet. God says, “walk in my ways and keep my requirements” (3:7). If we are to do this then our new selves are going to be covered in the mess of serving an active God.
What a challenge that can be, to keep going with following Jesus, to “continue to walk in the truth” (3 John 3), yet what an encouragement is today’s Psalm. A friend recently shared this quote on Twitter.
Before you ever decided what you were going to do with God, God had decided what He was going to do with you.
I think that helps to sum up the Psalm: He knows how you work because he made you. He wouldn’t have made you any way except the way he wanted you to be; he has dressed you in clean clothes. “God’s works are wonderful” (139:14) We are his works, which makes us wonderful. Lets not forget what an amazing God we live for.
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Today’s picture was taken by…
Dan Gardner. Thanks Dan!
If you’d like to take your own picture to potentially be featured on the blog, then get your Soul Survivor Bible in One Year, and take a picture of yourself – and your Bible – at some interesting or colourful location. Then email it to us at editor@soulsurvivor.com.
The pictures will need to be a pretty good resolution (we use 640px by 360 px so at least as big as that), landscape photos work best and if you include the day of the reading in the picture then make sure you send it to us a good few days before that reading, so we have time to include it in that day’s post! We’ll credit all photographers!
