SWHW Bible Reading Plan: August 2021Sample

Top Takeaway from Lauren Diggs:

Have you ever been convicted of the sin in your life and just kinda glossed over it? Or maybe even justified it by comparing it to someone else’s much worse sin? I know, I know -- we’re going all-in right away. 

But so did Ezekiel when he addressed the Israelites in Chapters 12 through 14, so here we go.

“when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash,” Ezekiel 13:10b

There have been times in my life where I’ve built a wall between the Lord and me because of unconfessed sin or disobedience that I’ve just glossed over, or as Ezekiel puts it, whitewashed.

This can look like: 

Gossiping with our girlfriends but saying it’s for prayer--you and I both know the difference.  

Disobeying or delaying obedience to something God has asked because we don’t have all the answers or simply aren’t ready to make the sacrifices necessary to obey.  

Making an idol out of our work, ministry, spouse, or our kids, but justifying it because there are much worse things to make idols out of.  

My personal favorite: “That’s just the way I am.”

We might be able to temporarily convince ourselves that we are okay, but we’re not convincing God. But because of His continual grace over us, He doesn’t let us sit on our whitewashed wall for long. 

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭1:18‬

There’s only One who can wash us white. And He doesn’t wash us by just glossing over our sin. He poured Himself out to not only cover our sin, but to defeat the power of death it has in our lives. When we display our filthy rags before the Lord, He washes them as white as snow. 

Being washed as white as snow looks like: 

Overwhelming grace  

Forgiveness 

His strength being made perfect in our weakness 

Going from “That’s just the way I am” to “The only way is the I Am.”

Let’s not sit on our whitewashed walls any longer. Lay yourself bare before Jesus and allow Him to flood over you like a cleansing waterfall. 

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You, broken and in need of Your grace. Forgive us for glossing over or excusing our sin. Reveal to us the areas where we do this so our sin may be washed as white as snow in You. Continue to renew our minds and transform our lives to be more like You, Jesus. We love You. Amen.