Preparing for the Return
Molly has been isolating in our room now for ten days suffering through Covid. It’s been painful for me to watch her struggle with the symptoms of the virus. I’ve been bringing her meals and trying to take care of her, but I can’t make her better. The doctor says it takes about ten days. Well, today is day 10, and this morning she said she feels better than yesterday. Praise the Lord! Hopefully, in a day or two she’ll feel 100%. She’ll soon leave her bedroom prison, descend the stairs, and resume her regular life, which is awesome, except for the condition of the house.
It only takes a day or two for it to devolve into chaos without Molly’s presence. After 10 days, well, you can imagine. Her announcement meant she might come downstairs, and soon! There's stuff everywhere and a week's worth of Casey's hair in the carpets. I searched for the vacuum, sponge, and mop and got busy. I love my wife. I can’t wait until she’s back, and I don’t want her to return to a dump.
Molly’s imminent return reminded me of Jesus’s promise that He will return soon too. He said in Revelation 22:20: “Yes, I am coming soon” (NIV). I can’t wait until He comes back either. Molly doesn’t expect me to clean the house perfectly before her return, and Jesus doesn’t either. Jesus came the first time because our lives are a mess, and because we are helpless sinners in need of a Savior. Please don’t think that Jesus could never accept you because of the things you’ve done. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He healed lepers and hung out with outcasts. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus will never reject you. He accepts you based on your faith in Him. All He wants is for you to place your trust in Him for your salvation.
When we believe, God treats us as though we’ve never sinned. He charges our sins to Jesus’s account, and He gives us Jesus’s righteousness. That’s the best deal we’ll ever get. The cleaning up comes later. Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit to live inside of us, and the Holy Spirit doesn’t like a messy home. He will show us the dirt and grime that is our sin, and because we love Jesus, we’ll want to join Him in the cleanup. We won’t want to commit the sins that destroy ourselves and others. Serving others will become important to us. People will notice that we’ve changed.
That’s the Holy Spirit cleaning our house. I cleaned the first floor in about an hour. I think I did a pretty good job. When Molly comes downstairs, she won’t find it perfect, but she’ll see my love for her in trying to prepare for her return. Our lives may take longer to straighten up, but we ought to see progress along the way. When we meet Jesus, He won’t find our house perfect, but that’s ok. He knows our hearts, that we’ve received Him and can’t wait for His return.
