I thought I’d learned all I needed to know about hand washing in kindergarten. But a global pandemic leaves little margin for error. Who knows but that one second short of the magic 30 might cause a crafty Covid-19 escapee to take up illegal residence? So I am doing my part to help prevent the spread, honoring guidelines set up by medical authorities.
Yet this hyper focus on hand hygiene has transcended a purely physical orientation in me, evoking loftier thoughts of Scripture passages dealing with clean hands. Psalm 24:3-5 says, Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.
God’s word doesn’t stop with sanitized, even sanctified, hands. The psalmist David ranks a pure heart on par with clean hands, a dynamic duo that ushers God’s children into His holy place and assures us of His blessing. So how do we get there? Come along with me.
With the outbreak of Covid-19 and shelter-in-place orders, I decided to jumpstart my annual spring cleaning. Without the typical time constraints of years past, I came face to face with the unvarnished facts: I had no excuse to overlook ANYTHING. So, baseboards and ceiling fans were dusted, closets purged, carpets steam cleaned, tile floors polished. It was all lookin’ good.
But my meticulous Merry Maid-conscience nagged, “What about the attic?” So I grudgingly trudged upstairs to tackle ten years’ worth of detritus: such objects of obsolescence as VHS and cassette tapes; mismatched, castoff kitchen utensils from our son’s college apartment; random odds and ends flung into the nearest box in deadline-beating desperation when we moved ten years ago. And then there were the things that might one day come in handy, but we really hope to not have to use: a pair of crutches, a geriatric shower stall chair.
As I plumbed the depths of dust and dirt, disgusted by this useless accumulation of oh-so-much junk, I began to think of the invisible debris cluttering the recesses of my mind. Remembrances of little hurts from childhood; resentment towards those who had slighted me; envy of others whose achievements may have eclipsed my own. Hypocritical attitudes of my heart no one would likely ever guess were there. Less than charitable assessments of public figures and even family members. Prideful, self-centered, me-first thoughts.
Coming back downstairs, my hands were washed easily enough, 30 seconds of scrubbing to the Happy Birthday song (Jesus Loves Me works, too). But the thoughts and attitudes of my heart weren’t quite so squeaky clean. James 4:8,10 reads, Come near to God, and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
And there it is, God’s sanctification plan. Wash your hands. Purify your hearts. Humble yourselves.
I believe we are on the brink of the greatest revival the world has ever known, a time preceding the return of Jesus, an opportunity to participate in the Great Harvest of souls. God is allowing these present circumstances, this time of enforced isolation, as a chance for each of us to draw nearer to Him than ever before. Why not climb into Papa’s ample lap, your Shelter-in-place, just like a child? Confess your sins and know He will forgive you of every one of them and even choose to remember them no more. Let Him sweep your mind of all the dust bunnies and cobwebs of the past, making room for the mind of Christ. Rethink the thoughts and attitudes of your heart. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2)
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.
Father, thank you that you love each of your children with an everlasting love, a love available to all who call on your Name. Thank you that you sent your Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Lord, as we draw near to you during this time of confinement, we ask you to do a deep cleansing in us, the body of Christ, washing us with the water of your Word, creating in us clean hands and pure hearts, purging us of those thoughts and attitudes of our hearts that are not consistent with the truth of who we are in you. Lord, make us altogether holy and whole, that the world would see Christ in us, the hope of glory. We look forward to the fulfillment of your promise, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8) In Jesus’ name, amen.
Jan de Chambrier
