And I will deliver you from all your uncleanness ...

Ezekiel 36:29a

I love to make homemade grape juice, jelly, and fruit leather. The taste is wondrous. The problem is my hands get stained from all that purple pulp. It seems to take days of scrubbing to eradicate it. As we journey through Lent, we ponder that our lives are like that as well. It all begins with sin. It is not a pretty picture. Somehow a “ta” has been added, and we are now burdened with the stain of transgression and guilt. No matter how hard we try, it is impossible to remove that tarnished covering.

But that is where God’s love takes over. It is through the cross and the ultimate Easter triumph that a purification takes place. The cross-like letter “t” in stain is moved from the second letter to the end of the word; it becomes Saint. Indeed, we are cleansed and made whole. Amazing Grace!

Don Luepke
Fremont, IN

Lord, what joy fills my heart as I ponder this miraculous transformation. Amen.

Reflect: Each time you wash your hands, thank the Lord for the cleansing that Christ has done for you.

Read: Psalm 51:2 and Revelation 3:5