Come Dirty And Get Clean

Come Dirty And Get Clean

I will save them from their sinful apostasy. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 37:23

Nick had once owned his own business and had been a well-respected member of the community. But as I watched the prison guard escort him down the hall, what defined his life now was an orange jumpsuit. Once Nick was settled in the exam room, the guard walked out and closed the door.

“I can’t take it!” Nick said. This is my third DUI, and they sentenced me to eleven months and twenty-nine days. That’s a year in jail, and it will ruin me! What am I going to do? I’ve already lost my business, and now my wife is leaving with the kids.”

“I can help you medically, Nick, but only God can restore what’s broken in you. I know he can restore your health and life while you’re in jail. If you let him, he can work a miracle.”

Nick settled back in his chair and seemed to think about what I had said.

“St. Paul spent time in prison,” I said. “In fact, God spoke to him there many, many times. I’m going to pray that God speaks to you, as well.”

What in your life is keeping you in prison? What idols distract you from the love of God? Whether it’s a relationship, an illness, an addiction, or a preoccupation with the wrong things, God wants to cleanse your lost and broken soul and restore you to wholeness.

A year later, Nick came to see me in my office—not as a new patient, but as a new man. He had a spring in his step and a lift in his voice as he told me how God had not only forgiven him, but had also restored him to his family.

“I began reading the Bible again,” he said. “And you were right. That jail time saved my life.”

I asked Nick about his plans for the future.

“I’m already working,” he said with a grin. “I’m a drug and alcohol counselor at a rehab facility. I get paid to bring the hope of new life through Jesus Christ to those who need a fresh start.”

TODAY’S RX

It’s easy to become a prisoner to the idols in our lives. Ask God to cleanse you and restore your love for him.

God, I pray that you would remove any unhealthy habits that have become a stronghold on my life. Take away the distractions and idols that keep me from finding my identity in you. I desire to start fresh and be made whole.