Thursday is usually Joseph day at the Benton house. Each Thursday our grandson Joseph comes over to spend a significant part of the day with us. It’s our time to play with Joseph, love on Joseph, laugh with Joseph and spoil Joseph.
Recently we went to the park on a Thursday morning, and Joseph loved it. He was fascinated with the huge ducks and laughed at them when they “honked” at him, and at times he wanted to follow them right into the water. The playground area brought many giggles as we pushed him high in the swing. It was a fun day.
Joseph loves toys with wheels on them. He likes to sit down and spin them over and over and over and over, yes and over. On our visit to the park, Joseph walked over to our car, which sat by the playground, and tried to spin the wheels, but to no avail. He finally gave up, but when we picked him up to go home, his hands were black. Though he had not meant to, he had picked up dirt and filth, just because of where life took him that day. By now he was tired and thirsty. Before we could even put him in the car seat, or quench his thirst, his hands had to be thoroughly cleaned. We knew that if he kept the dirty hands, it would affect his well-being, and leave dirt everywhere he walked. Joseph was not a happy camper! He wanted his milk, yet the dirty hands were preventing him from having it. All he needed to do was to surrender to a cleaning, and he would receive far more than he imagined. Joseph did not know that not only did I have milk awaiting him, but goldfish crackers also. His favorite!
Often in our walk in life, we get a little dirty. Perhaps it is not intentional, but we are simply exposed to things that are ungodly – words, attitudes, coarse talk, wrong mindsets. It happens because life exposes us to things. I have found in my walk with God, that pulling aside for a cleansing on a daily basis is a wonderful thing.
As I sit with God and ask if there is anything in me that needs cleansing, it’s amazing what the Spirit of God brings to my remembrance. There are times I am a bit resistant. I want the power, prosperity and presence of God, without dealing with the things that need cleansing. I want God to leave my attitude alone! I want God to leave my angry spirit alone! I don’t want God talking about my self-pity! I just want what I want! God has far more in store for my life than I can imagine, but there are times I miss some of what He has, because I need a cleansing. The cleansing opens channels through which His fullness will flow. He has more than milk awaiting us.
As Simon Peter said, “Lord, do not wash my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. – Psalms 51:10