If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know at least two things about me: (1) I am obsessively neat and clean, and (2) my wife and I got a puppy three months ago. To be honest, those two things don’t go together well. Our dog, Max, is both an indoor and outdoor dog – and we’re learning that a dog is messy. Really messy, sometimes, in fact.
So, here’s what I do. After Pam and Max go to bed for the evening, I clean. I dust the counters. I vacuum the rugs. I sweep the hardwood floors. I clean the recliner Max and I sit in during the day. The process takes me about 20 minutes, but it’s worth it to me. You see, when I make sure to clean at the end of the day, I sleep better—and, it’s a lot more enjoyable when I get up in the morning. Awakening to a mess I failed to clean up the day before is not a good way to start the day.
My walk with the Lord is not much different, actually. Taking time each evening to ask the Lord to show me my sin, to confess that sin, to re-affirm my commitment to turn from it, and to bask in the Lord’s forgiveness makes a great deal of difference for me. I rest better that night, and the next morning filled with God’s renewed mercies starts in a much more positive place. Unconfessed sin, on the other hand, has a way of robbing us of rest in the night and eating at our souls in the morning. No ongoing sin is worth that cost.
If you don’t already do so, I encourage you to take some time tonight to let the Lord work over your heart a bit. Holy Spirit cleansing before you go to bed can make tonight a better night and tomorrow a much better day.
BONUS: If you want to be inspired and encouraged by the Word’s listing/descriptions of God’s forgiveness, check out this earlier post.
