Friday, August 19, 2016

This Old Stove



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

Danny and I have been married for eleven years.  In that time, we have replaced all major appliances - refrigerator, dishwasher, washer, dryer - except one:  our stove.

It is over twenty years old, but still going strong.  And even though it's white finish stands out in stark contrast to the surrounding stainless steel of the fridge and dishwasher, we cannot rationalize the purchase of another one "just to match."

I find it hard to believe that with all the use our stove gets from Chef Danny, it has yet to give up the ghost.  And I do my best to keep in clean and shiny in between cooking sprees.  Her is what the poor stove looked like several nights ago after Danny got through with it.




I use 409 to loosen the grease and grime before sponging it off.


And sometimes, if a stain is really tough, I resort to the tried and true Brillo pad.


But no matter how intently I scrub, twenty years have left indelible scratches and nicks on the otherwise smooth surface.  From a distance, no one would ever notice.  Yet, we know all too well that they are there.

Just maybe, some of us, as Christians, are like the old white stove.  We have scars and remnants of past sins we don't want anyone to see.  So we hold others at arm's length, hoping they won't perceive our true selves, and bravely put on a clean and shiny facade when we sit in church on Sunday.

If we do that, we are deluding ourselves.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 2:23).  That means everyone, in the church, in the workplace, in the nation, in the world.

Everyone!

But the Lord our God settled the matter when He sent Christ Jesus to be the atonement for our sins.  Washed in our Savior's crimson, sacrificial blood, we are made as white as snow, without blemish or fault, seen by God not as a sinner, but as His beloved and redeemed child.

I may not be able to erase all those stains and flaws that mar the surface of this old white stove, but I don't need to allow them to remind me of my own imperfections.

Mine have been covered.

So are yours.

Alleluia and amen!

20 comments:

  1. Martha, I love your imagery here. We do, many times, put on our "church suit" not letting others see who we are deep inside. To be sure some people are intuitive enough to see through the facade. There really is something to "being real" and not wearing masks--masks of our own making, masks that other force us to wear.

    Love and blessings!

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    Replies
    1. Kim, I think it's human nature to want to look our best in front of others, even when we know we're not being true to ourselves - gulp! I must admit, I've donned that "mask" before, though I really, really try not to. In the end, we know it's self-deceiving and self-defeating.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  2. Martha, Yes, yes, yes! No matter how much we try to "cover-up", we are not being true to who we really until we are "covered" by the blood of Jesus. Then we are a new creation. "The old has gone and the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

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    Replies
    1. Amen, Beckie, you are right on the money! Thank the Lord for the covering of His blood and His great and tender mercy.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  3. From one old stove with tons of scratches and scars, this was a great post. Good analogy

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    Replies
    1. Lol, Betty! Glad you liked the analogy here.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Jean! Glad this post spoke to you.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  5. Great post! We live in such a disposable society. Love this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we do, Talya, and it's a downright shame. Glad you enjoyed the post, and I appreciate you stopping by today.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  6. I have always loved how you can find a biblical lesson in the most mundane aspects of everyday life. It reminds me that God is with us everywhere and reminders of Him and his presence and promises are right in front of us if we just open our minds and hearts to see Him. He is always there!❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Kathy, He IS always there! I feel blessed that God has seen fit to gift me with mundane stories that point to His truth. Boy, am I grateful for that!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  7. Loved this very effective word picture and lesson! Yes, we can clean up the outside, but it's the inside that really counts. Praise the Lord, He is transforming that every day!

    May He fire up this old stove to burn strongly for Him!!

    GOD BLESS!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true, Sharon! We can scrub our outsides until they shine, but only God can clean up what's inside of us.
      Hope He will keep us both on fire for Him!
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  8. Well said, Martha. It is true, the inside is where we carry out net worth. It's the core that keeps us pushing and holding on. I love how you find messages in the day-to-day.

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    Replies
    1. True, Brenda! It is what's inside us that ultimately counts.
      Glad you enjoyed the message here.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete

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