Walking With God Today 06/11/08

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” James 4:8-10 (NKJV)

It is very unhealthy for people to eat with unclean hands.  We should train ourselves, especially following our use of the urinal or the stool to wash our hands.  This type of cleansing is for your own health as well as the health of others.  My wife and I was preparing to eat at a Steak house which has a buffet in Arkansas, and several stores through out the State of Missouri.  We were eating at this one in Northwest Arkansas, I went in the men’s restroom to relieve myself before I went to the buffet, and there was another man using the urinal.  When this man was finished he went straight out the door to the buffet line.  No!  He didn’t wash his hands.  To be honest with you; I watched every dipping spoon he touched, and I avoided it.

I do believe in cleanliness, and I take a bath, maybe once a year; whether I need it or not .  Really, though I don’t take baths at all.  I am a shower man.  I am not a freak who is afraid to touch other people for fear that I will get infected with something.  We cannot live that way.  That is the way of fear.  I am talking about caution.  Someone once said, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”, and they had a good point, but that saying is not in the Bible.

Having the “Clean hands” is much more than a washing in soap and water.  This is having hands clean of any sins of the world.  Your hands have not been involved in doing things of unrighteous character, such as stealing from the poor by repossessing their property, when they need it; or having fraudulent business practices to fill your own pockets; or committing an act of adultery against your spouse.  The hands of the person of God must be committed to doing the work of God, God’s way.

Clean hands and a “purified heart”.  The wicked heart of mankind needs to be purified every single day.  Our thoughts, our actions must be toward that which is godly, and without an impure motive.  The motive for purifying our hearts is to glorify Jesus and the Father.

There seems to be a very unhumble attitude in  the hearts, minds and lives of people.  There is arrogance every where we turn.  If it is not the Chavez, or Putin, and though it will never be committed by him again, Saddam Hussein; it is the arrogant doctors we visit who think they have the world of medicine in their hands, they have the answers, and all they have is “Practice”.  The celebrity who thinks he/she is better than the rest of the people of the nation, and speak vitriolic words against our leaders.  It could even be a pastor whose arrogant heart beleives his race is better than another race, or one who may think he has all the answers from the Scriptures.

There are times when people even make professions of faith in Christ without a broken heart, and tears.  The Psalmist wrote, “A broken and contrite heart–these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17), and there needs to be broken hearts before God when we realize we have sinned against Him.  God calls for His people to “Lament and mourn and weep”.  Lamenting is the crying aloud of our sorrow for our sin, our neglect of worship of God, an act of grief over sin.  Mourning is that grieving of the heart with acheing of the very soul, and longing for forgiveness and cleansing.  Weeping is the tears which flow like a river from the tear ducts of our eyes.  Yes!  Men, you need to weep too.  It will do your heart good.

The prophet Joel were given these words from God, “Now therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’  So rend your heart and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness…” (Joel 2:12-13).  Christian, when was the last time you wept, you mourned, and lamented over the sins you have committed against the Lord our God?  Unbeliever, one day you in your arrogance will face the Almighty God, and you will give an account of your life, and then when you are standing before Him you will find no words to say, there will be no arrogant response to the One who sits on the throne of glory.  Christ Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to Scripture.

True cleansing for eternity comes through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  Know Him, trust Him, believe Him, and you will live eternally with Him.

Walk With God Today.

-Tim A. Blankenship