Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance

of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

and our bodies washed with pure water.

Ezekiel 16:9

Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy

blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

John 3:5

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of

water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 15:3

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

James 4:8

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Did you know that 71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water. Life, in fact, begins with water. In the Genesis account of creation, before God spoke any living thing into existence, the bible says that the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters. Before the creation of grass, plants, animals, God created the heavens and the earth by giving it water.

Later in scripture when God was ready to interact with humanity through worship, He instructed Moses to construct a tabernacle. Inside of the tabernacle was to be a laver of water. Those who were designated as priests were to stop at this basin of water and wash themselves before engaging in any acts associated with worship. This ceremonial washing or cleansing made the point that when encountering God, one should take care to be clean. Take time to be washed. Because God is holy, we need to come to Him having been washed and cleansed of the unrighteousness that clings to our flesh.

So if you’re going to go to church, before you seek to come into the presence of God, before you ask to hear from the Lord, before you desire to be drawn into an encounter with the Holy God, there is this stop to make by this water dish; this basin, where we ask God to wash us. Wash my mind of unholy thoughts. Wash my mouth of filthy communication. Wash my heart of impure motives. Wash my hands of evil deeds. Wash me so that I might enter into an experience with You.

Isaiah 1:16

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke [i]the oppressor; [j]Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 18 “Come now, and 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 be as wool.

There is this idea that you and I are dirty. We live in a world that is filled with sin; our minds are corrupted daily; our ears hear things, our eyes see things and our mouths even say things that are not of God. And we need to be cleansed.

The water represents being washed. And Jesus fulfills this ritual of spiritual cleansing by being and commanding us to be baptized. To be born again through the washing of the water by the Word of God in the newness of life. (Eph. 5:26). When we are baptized and immersed in the water, it symbolizes that we have surrendered our lives to the spiritual cleansing that Jesus Christ provides and that we are committing to live our lives according to the Word of God. Be washed. Before you encounter God, be washed. Before you lift up holy hands, be washed. Before you come into His presence, be washed with the water of the Word.

Just as the laver was filled with water in the tabernacle and the priests were commanded to wash before service in that Holy place, we are to wash ourselves in the Word of God by applying hte word to our lives and living it daily. The priests spent more time at the laver than at any other place in the tabernacle in order to ensure that the grime and odor of daily life did not accompany them into their service of God. Likewise, daily washing in the Word of God ensures that we come before God as a sweet smelling fragrance that is pleasing and acceptable to Him.

This week, ask the Lord daily to wash you again. Perhaps leaving the jar of water somewhere that it is visible will help as a daily reminder to pray for

and live in the cleansing power of Christ.