Filthy to clean

Hi everyone,

Zechariah 3:4 recently really hit a chord within me and my personal life, reflecting how dirty and repulsive I am without Christ. My soul is cleansed by His blood alone - that is the only saving grace that I'll ever know.

"'Take away the filthy garments from him.'
  And to him He said, 'See, I have removed your iniquity from you,
  and I will clothe you with rich robes'."
  Zechariah 3:4

This little poem/story flowed from my pen after reading that verse.

***

Filthy to clean

One day I looked down
and saw my soiled clothes
Torn, tattered and dirty
I sat down and wept
for I could not enter God's palace.
The shining lights seemed to push me away,
Unworthy, unholy, impure
in the sight of the Holy One.

But then I looked up,
there was light all around me.
Night had turned to day,
darkness to light.
There stood Jesus,
the Saviour, the Redeemer

He smiled at me
He told His angels
to take off my filthy clothes.
They stripped me,
rag by rag,
sin by sin,
hidden guilt after hidden guilt,
until I stood there

stark naked

with light shining all around me

nothing left to hide

Shame crept into my heart
I began to look down again
I was not worthy to stand before Him
I couldn't look at Him in His eye

But then He spoke and said,
"See I have removed your iniquity from you,
  And I will clothe you with rich robes"

My jaw dropped in awe
I wanted to thank Him
but no words came.

I didn't need to stare down
I felt clean, white robes had encircled me
enveloping me in cleanliness, serenity and holiness

Now was I fit for Him
Now could I walk into His presence

My joy found now words
My face was glowing,
radiating the glory of the splendour that was before me

I was about to fall down
as I was overcome with hope

Jesus reached down
took my hand
and stood me up on my feet again.

He looked down at me
and I looked up at him
Then He picked me up in His arm.

I felt like a baby again

I was in the arms of perfection
I was in the arms of the divine
I was in the arms of my Saviour

and Heaven awaited me.

***

Hope that story blesses you as it blessed me. Our God is a great God, the great King above all other gods. Only He is to be worshipped. Only He deserves our praise. Only He could have stooped down from His holy majesty to pick us up and draw us close to Him, even though we are unworthy sinners.

As the words from Fanny Crosby's hymn go, we echo, 'Praise Him, Praise Him, Jesus my blessed Redeemer!'

Blessings,

A

25 June 2013