Rest from the filthiness of work.

Day 23

Ruth 3:3

Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor.

Rest from the filthiness of work.

Most people I know come from work or school or gym, and the first thing they do is shower and change into clean clothes. There is something freeing about a clean feeling. Regardless of the weather, the freshness that comes with a shower and a clean set of clothes is not easily matched. Obviously, if your work is outside, or if it is a job that is physically demanding, you will see it better. But it is true even for other, non-physical, easier jobs as well. God told Adam that he would eat his bread by the sweat of his face (Genesis 3:19). He was not kidding.

Work affects us all. It makes us tired physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We come home exhausted, stressed, and if we had a really hard day, just plain old grumpy. Then we jump into that shower or tub, let the water have contact with our skin, and it seems like, magically, the fatigue and the stress all go away. Then we put on some clean fresh clothes, maybe fresh out of the dryer, and smell the soft perfume of the dryer sheets, and inhale…yes, I’ve been watching too many fabric softener commercials.

Have you considered that this is precisely what Jesus does with us? We come to Him tired, cranky, and filthy from a day’s (or a lifetime of) work. He washes us, perfumes us, and gives us clean clothes to wear. Then He presents us to his Father. To our Father.

Verse 2 said that Naomi and Ruth had a kinsman redeemer, Boaz, a type of Jesus, if you will. But contrary to Ruth, who had to get herself clean to go into his presence, we don’t have to. He does it for us. At the last supper, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, only their feet, for they had already been washed once by the work that He was about to do on the cross that very night.

What do you need to rest from? Are you burdened by the 9-5 job that doesn’t seem to go anywhere? Are you so stressed by all the demands it places on you that you feel overwhelmed and inapt? Are the thoughts of work seeping in during your prayer time with the Lord? #getittogethergirl Jump into the water. Let the Spirit of God cleanse you and refresh you. Put on the perfume of God’s Word. Dress yourself in the clean clothes of His renewal. Rest. Rest from your day’s work. Rest from the filthiness of your walk.

Father, I worked too hard today. I am tired and spiritually drained. Give me the refreshing water of your Spirit. Give me the renewed strength to do this tomorrow, and do not let me grow weary. Shower me with the blessing of your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

My reflections:

“The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean.”

John 13:10

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