Welcome to this little dove mini-series! There are two pieces prior to this, so if you would like to start at the beginning, these links will open in a new page.
Dove Notes – Intro
Dove Note – Do you hear me?
Today, the dove note focuses on ‘Cleaning Up!’ Doves are messy. Mine live in an outdoor aviary but it still has to be cleaned. If I was a scientist, I’d find out the chemical composition of dove poo because it has adhesive properties! Cleaning the perches and the food dishes is a job!
It is an important job because the health of my doves, myself and my family are at stake. There are dangerous bacterium carried by birds. I have to be vigilant in how I clean as well as faithful to clean. There are great spiritual truths in this dove reality.
TRUTH: LIFE YUCK STICKS TO US & HAS DEADLY PROPERTIES
As Christians, we are in the world even though we are not of the world. We have been born from above, but we live in a broken, sin-filled world. Just as Jesus told Peter, we need to let Jesus clean our feet. It’s not something we can do by trying harder.
Walking in filth gets us dirty. I don’t clean up my dove cage daily but I do clean up this clay vessel of mine daily–often several times a day. I simply agree with God that His way is right, and I’ve slipped off the path. It may be a thought or an action but anything that is not HIS thought or HIS way needs to be released! God is a righteous God who calls us to be holy as well! His presence is beautiful and worthy of every effort to honor Him.
Sin is deadly. Here’s an interesting truth: sin is the only thing we really can give to God that He didn’t give to us. We are born with a sin nature; we live in a world with sin. But sin was never God’s desire or gift for us. Sin damages everyone and everything it touches. Only God can deal with sin: He wants us to give it to Him. It is the work of the enemy; Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil. When we give Him our sin, we embrace the victory Jesus won on the Cross. The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin—if we will release it to Him. Taking our yuck to God in prayer and asking Him to clean us up protects us and those around us.
My dove cage cleans up with some ‘elbow grease’ and soapy water. But it’s not our effort or soap and water that takes care of sin for us. Nothing but the blood of Jesus washes away our sin! We need the Word, the written and the Living Word, Jesus Christ–and we need each other.
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” I John 1:7
