Washed, Salted, Swaddled!
‘...NEITHER WAST THOU WASHED...
O
THE
vercoming
SERIES
[NOR] SALTED...NOR SWADDLED...’ EZEKIEL 16:4.
Why are only one in ten people who make a commitment to Christ still serving Him
fi ve years later? Ezekiel gives us some answers:
1) You must be washed! Your spiritual protection against dirt, disease and death is
‘...the washing of water by the Word’ (Ephesians 5:26). It’s not enough to step into
Lord, I pray that
the shower every morning; you’ve also got to step into the Scriptures. Jesus said, the areas of my
‘Now ye are clean through the Word’ (John 15:3). Sin will keep you from your Bible spiritual life that
and your Bible will keep you from sin. have become stale
2) You must be salted! In Hebrew culture, they rubbed salt on newborn babies to will once again
toughen their skins so they could be handled without bruising. Too many of us need fl ourish. Help me
‘special handling.’ We’re touchy. If we’re corrected, we get defensive. Only when
fi nd You again in
you’ve been ‘salted’ by mature love and non-legalistic acceptance can you be really
the desert of my
open and honest.
own life. Help me
3) You must be swaddled! When we’re fi rst born into God’s family we’re vulnerable.
worship You with
We need to be covered and protected. That’s the value of Christian fellowship; it
the excitement of
wraps us up in the arms of love and says, ‘You don’t ever have to go back to the
my early years; let
old life again! You can begin afresh. You can be healed of your painful past. You
me know a greater
can have good times and good relationships instead of bad ones.’ Have you been
depth of Your love
washed, salted, and swaddled?
and acceptance,
that the intimacy
between us will be
You Belong! the best it’s ever
‘...WE BELONG TO HIS DEARLY LOVED SON’
been, in Jesus’
EPHESIANS 1:6.
Name.
Do you spend a big part of your life trying to get people to accept you? Once you
Once you
understand that God already accepts you and that you ‘belong’ to His dearly beloved
Son, the acceptance of others will become less important to you. You see, when God
realise that
approves of you, what difference does anybody else’s opinion make?
you have
Don’t misunderstand me; you won’t become uncaring or unmoved by people. On the
a direct
contrary, you’ll become more caring and more deeply moved by their needs, because
pass to
now your own are being met by God! The fact that God accepts you transforms your
the throne
prayer life. Once you realise that you have a direct pass to the throne room you’ll
stop trying to ‘talk God into hearing you.’ You’ll realise that you can come boldly
room you’ll
to Him at two o’clock in the morning, without worrying about waking Him up or
stop trying
disturbing Him. You can call on Him, knowing that you’ll always be received with to ‘talk
love and concern, regardless of the time of day, no matter where you are or what’s
God into
going on. He’ll hear you because ‘you belong!’
hearing
Once you grasp that, your low self esteem will begin to heal and your reluctance to
approach Him with either your sins or your needs will vanish. Why? Because you’re
you.’
loved! You’re accepted! Nothing and nobody can ever change that!
3
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