It was an unusually cold stretch for the Space Coast of central Florida. Temperatures were in the 40's. I was changing the spark plugs on my dad's 1962 Olds Dynamic 88. Since that's the car he let me drive most of the time, I got the opportunity to keep up the maintenance on it. Turned out to be a great education for me in the future.
When the temperature drops, metal is not only just colder, it's also seems harder and without question bolts grip more snuggly. I was have a little trouble getting some of the old plugs out, which meant they required more leverage or the bigger hammer rule. Being the epitome of a Mr. Universe body type at 17, I simply used my brute strength and determination to loosen each plug. However, one of the plugs was extremely resistant. It was bound and determined to stay in place. I was bound and determined it was coming out!
I repositioned myself for greater leverage, gritted my teeth, put a firm grip on the wrench and exerted full force. She broke loose. And when she did, I couldn't stop the momentum of my hand moving forward into a sharp piece of cold hard steel. My blackened, greasy hands were now covered in blood from the nasty cut on my finger. I was bleeding everywhere.
When I went inside to tend my wound, my mother took me to the bathroom sink. But instead of immediately cleaning my dirty, black, greasy hands with soap and water, she used the blood oozing from my cut to wipe away all the filthy grime. All the darkened grease disappeared. My finger and hand were perfectly clean. I was totally stunned. She explained to me that blood was a cleansing agent. Then I remembered these words from Isaiah, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow."
What can wash away your sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. The book of Romans, chapter 3 tells us that we are justified by the grace of God, through the atoning blood of Jesus. Even though my life has been blackened by sin, God takes Jesus' blood and He washes the grimy filth that covers my life when I come to Him in faith, asking for His cleansing power to be applied to my life.
God, thanks for your cleansing power. Thanks for Christ's sacrifice. I want to be white as snow.
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