Completely Wet

John was next door helping wash our neighbor’s car. So guess what he wanted to do when I got home from work? Yep, wash my car. It needed it, but I was immediately confronted with my lack of desire to let him wash my car because it’s always more work for me to let him DO it. But I got past my selfishness and ‘helped’ him wash my car. Needless to say I got wet. With him holding the hose and spraying the car, it was inevitable. I was OK with getting my feet and hands wet, but sure enough, my shirt and shorts got a little moist. The nozzle on our sprayer sticks and is hard to shut off, so you can just imagine how easy it is to get wet.

I didn’t want to get my shorts and shirt wet, but it happened.

When we give our lives to Jesus, we get wet. In fact, we should get soaked. Every part of our body, soul, mind, and heart is to be covered by Jesus. It is an important part of the reason I like the symbolism of immersion. You get fully dunked. There is no place that is not wet.

But we learn quickly how to try and keep certain parts of our lives dry. We learn how to follow Jesus by partial immersion. We give up control in certain areas of our lives. We obey certain sections of Scripture. We take only certain risks. Yet, in doing so, we stop getting soaked. We start to have certain areas of our lives which no longer get immersed in Jesus. We control them. We determine them. While being dry, they remain safe, controlled, and comfortable areas of our lives.

How wet are you willing to get for the sake of Jesus?

When Joshua invites the Israelites to renew their covenant with God, he says, “ . . . revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods of your ancestors . . . and serve the Lord.”

But before he gets to this part, do you know what he reminds them? He doesn’t start with what they need to do; he starts with what He has done. In fact, he says, “Thus says the Lord . . .” and the rest of this is God actually pointing out what He has done for them. “I took Abraham and led him to Canaan. . . I gave him Isaac . . . I gave (Isaac) Jacob & Esau. . . I gave Esau the hill country . . . I sent Moses & Aaron . . . I plagued Egypt . . . I brought your ancestors out of Egypt . . . You saw what I did to Egypt . . . I brought you to the land of the Amorites . . . I handed them over to you . . . I destroyed them before you . . . I rescued you out of his (Balak’s) hand . . . I handed them (Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Jebusites) over to you . . . I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built.” (Joshua 24:3-13)

What would God say to you about what He has done for you? Maybe it would go something like this. . . “I gave you life . . . I led you through struggle . . . I helped you see who you are . . . I set you free from sin . . . I have you purpose . . . I know you better than anyone else . . . I have not given up on you . . . I’ve given you peace, joy, love, hope, grace . . . I spoke to you . . . I showed you who I am . . . I showed you how much I love you . . . I gave you my Son . . .”

So when Joshua invites the Israelites to renew their covenant with God, they do so standing upon God and what He has done for them. We do the same.

“Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed . . . Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” (24:16-18)

If you are going to keep covenant with God, it means getting completely wet. It means everything. Giving up everything to God. Being faithful in all His commands. Trusting Him to lead you throughout this life, for HE IS OUR GOD!