Message summary: Let's make every day our "wash day" as we confess and renounce our sins. Let us invite the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts from all impurities.

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"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin" (I John 1:7). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Yesterday as I transported two Amish school teachers to their home s I spotted one of the interesting distinctives we enjoy seeing here in rural Lancaster County. Monday is "wash day" in many old order homes (Amish and Mennonite), though the majority of plain families have large families so wash day can be any day with the exception of the Lord's Day.

It's pretty obvious when they've washed their clothes since most of them have a long clothesline running between their home to a distant pole or perhaps attached high on the roof of a barn. In our lead photo today it appears to be attached to a Purple Martin birdhouse pole. These long clotheslines often have colorful clothing, though Amish wear solid colors rather than prints. I've yet to see any dresses or shirts with a printed design among the Amish. Some plain Mennonite groups wear print designs, with men's shirts almost always being plaids.

The women and children hang the clothes out to dry by pulling the long clothes line through the pulley on each end. This just wouldn't work well in the in the city! I recall my Mom having a clothesline between two poles but at ground level like the one in the photo. Our neighbor still has that type and we have a makeshift line ourselves for sheets, blankets, etc.

Passing these long clothes lines on washday reminds me of a sober reality, a glorious promise and a personal responsibility in the Scriptures.

John assures us that "God is faithful and just" in forgiving us our sins. What an all-encompassing assurance and peace this verse should bring to our hearts today.

"To forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Our greatest need is finding a solution to our sin problem, yet our "faithful and just" heavenly Father has already taken care of that, not just for just a few generations, not for just one nation, nor does the sacrifice He paid for our sins have an expiration date. His sacrifice for our sins was once for all. That really is amazing, all-encompassing love!

Let's make today and every day our "washday" as we confess and renounce our sins. Let us invite the Holy Spirit to cleanse our hearts from all impurities.

Be encouraged today!  Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber