Shake the Dust Off

^24-31This Decree, therefore, of the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
   the Strong One of Israel:
"This is it! I'll get my oppressors off my back.
   I'll get back at my enemies.
I'll give you the back of my hand,
   purge the junk from your life, clean you up.
I'll set honest judges and wise counselors among you
   just like it was back in the beginning.
Then you'll be renamed
   City-That-Treats-People-Right, the True-Blue City."
God's right ways will put Zion right again.
   God's right actions will restore her penitents.  Isaiah1:23-25, the Message

God loves you, and I've said that a lot on the blog, right?  He loves you.  But, He doesn't take sin lightly.  I'd hate to think that I speak so much on his love that I neglect the entire truth of His word.  That truth is that He does want our lives cleaned up - redecorated, if you will.

But my point this week is that it's not our job to do the redecorating.  He is the one who recreates us.  And as lovely as that sounds . . . sometimes it's painful.  This is the point where God dusts up our junk, the messes we have made of our lives.   It's not just that He pats us on the head and says, don't worry, I'll clean it up and you won't have to lift a finger.  He does clean it up, but it's often a time-consuming, heart-consuming process. 

Look at the above verse:  "I'll give you the back of my hand, purge the junk from your life, clean you up. . . .  God's right ways will put Zion right again. God's right actions will restore her penitents."  When we allow Him to clean up our lives, it's not a passive thing.  It's very much an action, but the action lies in following God, not trying to stay ahead of Him.

Sometimes God has a lot of work to do to clean up our lives!!  And He requires our obedience, that as He leads, guides, and directs us, we follow Him.  We can't say we want restored lives and yet refuse to follow His recipe for renewal!  (That's a lot of R's!) 

Titus 3 says this:  "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (verses 3-7)

All the changes that God makes in us are generous, done for His good purpose and our great hope.  I've never - ever - heard of anyone who gave their life to Christ who regretted it.  Or thought that God had done something wrong to Him.  People have fallen away from God, that's true, or become angry and bitter because of people, sin, or even His church (heaven forbid!) but I've never known anyone who gave themselves fully over to God who regretted it later. 

There is no regret when it comes to God, just regret for our former lives.  Yet He washes that from us, if we let Him.  He sweeps away the mess, if we hand over the broom.  He arranges our lives, if we give Him the control.  He dusts us up, if we give Him the cloth.  That's a lot of ifs.  But the ifs are on our part, not His. 

Let Him do the tough stuff!!  Mr. Clean has nothing on God!