Daily Devotional – 5/14/18 “Stain remover!”

So this morning I pull up and park, at work. Right before I get out I notice a stain on my dress. Are you kidding me? Now, I laid this dress out (threw it in the dryer for good measure, you know wrinkles and all), put it on, looked at myself in the mirror and ain’t seen nothing! Do you hear me? Not one thing and yes, it is noticeable because my dress is white with orange, purple … you get the gist. I sat there for a minute contemplating going all the way home to change or either waiting until my favorite store (Rainbow) opens at 10. Then I said screw it, got out and walked into the job. Don’t get me wrong, the stained worried me because what if someone sees it and thinks something. But then, I thought about it. Chile, forget this stain because I know this dress is clean and there are way more pressing things that could be wrong. However, as I was walking to the cafeteria, I said to myself, “Self, what if folk actually saw the stains within us.” The stains of our self-doubt, lying, cheating, backbiting, sabotage, slander, promiscuity, sorrow and etc. What if folk only knew about those stains because baby, a lot of us would be looked at differently if they knew what our flesh covered? This is why my attitude changed to appreciation of God for being my stain remover.

Anybody else thankful that God is better than Gain, Arm & Hammer and Tide when it comes to removing stains? Anybody else grateful that God is more powerful than Oxi Clean and will wipe out our sins and speak of them no more? Anybody else, other than me, glad to serve a God whose power is more potent than the magic eraser and shout? And get this. God doesn’t remove our sins and transgressions because we deserve it but He does for His sake. Beloved, it’s not because of us that He finds us worthy of being purified, over and over but it’s His reputation on the line. This is why God says, even with your shortcomings, I’ll still stamp out your sins. God says, even with your weaknesses, I still find you’re worthy. God says, even with your flaws, I’ll still favor you. For it is His word which says in Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.” And you got the nerve to worry about folk talking about you. Chile, let them talk while you serve a merciful God who is willing to eradicate our sins, even when we don’t serve Him as faithfully as we should. Thank you God for being what I didn’t even know I deserved.