Good morning, friends.
Our verse for today comes from Matthew 23:25, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”
One of my very few camping expeditions was with my son and a bunch of other dads and sons some years back. It was nothing extravagant, just a simple overnight stay on a farm outside of town. The kids got to go fishing in the pond, learn how to tie a rope, build a bonfire, take a hike around the farm, make s’mores, go to the bathroom outside, and do all the other fun stuff that elementary-aged boys do when they get together. But they didn’t seem too concerned with staying clean or washing off when they went from one activity to the next. One minute they were taking a fish off the hook, and the next they were in line to get their dinner. The dads tried to make sure they washed their hands, but for many dads that’s not their specialty. When it was s’more time, the skewers weren’t exactly sterilized between uses, unless you count wiping off the excess marshmallow on the ground or with a graham cracker. But that’s the way the kids operate. It’s all one big adventure to them.
But we adults are slightly different. We care about the cup and plate being clean, the skewer not being wiped off on someone’s jeans, the potato chips not getting scooped up by fishy hands. But having seen what the kids care about, and what we adults often care about, when do we ask ourselves what God cares about? When does it become important to us to be clean on the inside? Jesus told the religious bigwigs that they were full of greed and self-indulgence. So do we think ourselves alright because we are pretty sure we’re not completely full of this kind of sin? Do we do enough that’s good and right that makes us think that we don’t have to bother about the rest of the dirt? Well, what does God care about? He cares about your whole heart, your absolute love, your unwavering submission, your complete faith in Him alone. Those are the things to keep clean. And the slightest speck of dirty sin is worth being attended to, regardless of what the world calls it or how they excuse it. So let your dirty hands and sweaty brow remind you today to keep your heart and mind clean.
As we seek Him today, compare how much time you clean your outsides to how much time you clean within. Ask God to align your priorities with what really matters to Him.
Have a spotless Tuesday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
