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Changing Diapers

             “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

 

            We’re looking at a series of long-beloved verses thanks to Biblegateway.com. As I read this one this morning, part of me responded with my standard, “Oh, not this one again.” Another part of me responded with an image of someone trying to change a baby's diaper and the baby squalling and kicking, then urinating all over anything and everything in the area. You know – the standard “changing the baby” nightmare.

            A good parent might not like changing a diaper and all that can go with it, but knows that the baby doesn’t understand, doesn’t appreciate having its freedom restricted any more than the parent would, and can’t control its body. Of course, we’re the baby in question, and the parent is God. Brother Andrew wrote that when we sin, we should (of course) repent, but his prayer was that God would work in him because he can be no better apart from God. That’s a challenging idea to accept, but at our best, we are just beginning our “potty training” and need to learn when to run to God calling, “Potty!” or whatever other word we might apply to temptation and sin.

            And when God gets done changing our spiritual diapers, and we’re all clean, pleasant-smelling, and comfortable once again, then we can cuddle with Him, or play with the other kids, or take a broom and sweep back and forth, stirring up lots of dust without any improvement to the floor. 

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