A God Who Flushes Toilets

http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=make+all+things+new&qs_version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%20103:10-12&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+43:25&version=NIV1984

As I recall, our oldest grandson, Brett, seemed to get the hang of being potty-trained fairly easy.  Of course, one of the reasons why he did so well was his fascination with the whole process.  First, there was his excitement of being able to produce lots of bubbles when he peed in the toilet.  Then there was his fascination with flushing the toilet and watching everything make a downward spiral and out of sight.  When a child gets to this stage your water bill will automatically spike.  It’s because they often flush the toilet multiple times.  Whether it needs to be flushed or not.  Just for the fun of it.

Unfortunately, over the past couple years, Brett’s fascination with flushing has been replaced by absent-mindedness.  Lately whenever I go in to use the guest bathroom, I find that it has not been flushed.  It seems that Brett now has other things on his mind (like getting to the dinner table or going outside) so he often forgets to flush the toilet.  The past month or so Beth and I have reminded him several times that he needs to complete the process.  He needs to flush the toilet.

This past week Brett joined me up at Dickey Lake Bible Camp for a day.  Several times in our journeys back and forth across the camp I had to stop in and use the restroom.  (It seems that the older you get, the more you need to go.)  Now historically, camp restrooms are not always the cleanest of places, especially during a children’s camp.  Used paper towels on the counter or on the floor.  A few articles of clothing lying around.  And unflushed toilets.  It seems like every time we went in to use the restroom, it smelled.  Bad.  Brett noticed the odor right away.  I told him to check the toilets.  There were 3 of them.  Sure enough, at least one if not two toilets had not been flushed.  So Brett flushed them.  And the smell gradually dissipated.  This led to a good discussion with Brett about why it’s important to flush the toilet after using it.  If you don’t, the bathroom will start to smell.  Besides, neither you nor anyone else really wants to see what you left behind.  (Behind - get it!)

As I thought about this it reminded me of an important spiritual truth.  The Bible says that sin is nasty.  Disgusting.  Smelly.  Putrid.  It smells up a person’s life.  And it is unsightly.  The fact is that we are repulsed at the sight of our sins.  So are others.  And so is God.  Fortunately, God made a way for our sins to be flushed away.  This ‘way’ was a result of Jesus’ death on the cross.  When Jesus uttered the words ‘It is finished’ and died on the cross, forgiveness for our sins was made available to us.  When we repent and confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness, God does just that.  He forgives them.  This is the equivalent of Him flushing our sins so that they disappear.  Never to be seen again.  All the putridness, all the smell, all the repulsiveness, are gone in an instant!  Gone forever!  And whenever we subsequently sin, I John 1:9 tells us all we need to do is repent, confess those sins, and God will flush them away as well.

Wow!  A God who is willing to flush toilets!  Our toilet!  Someone who won’t let the smell and the putridness of our sins put Him off.  A God who is willing to do whatever it takes to make us holy.  Righteous.  Pure.  What a wonderful God we have!

Lord, there are times when I am absolutely horrified by the ugliness, the putridness, the stench of my sins.  I am so glad that You provided a way to get rid of them.  That in Your love and grace, You flush them away.  All of them.  Forever.  Thank you for Your willingness to do this for me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.