I'll bet just about everyone knows what this is, don't you? In fact, I'm sure most of you get a workout with a bar of soap every day, whether you like it or not!
Do you know what would happen if there was no soap? The little bit of dirt you get on you today would be added to the dirt you get every other day, and pretty soon you'd be a filthy mess. In fact, some of you could probably get it all done in a few minutes!
That's why it's so important to use soap to get clean — because you look better, you smell better, and you stay healthier. Too much dirt can make you sick.
Did you know that people can get dirty on the inside too? That's what God's Word calls sin — when we do things we shouldn't, or don't do things we're supposed to do. We need some way to be cleaned on the inside, and no bar of soap can do it.
That's what Jesus does for us. When we give our lives to Him and let Him come to live inside of us, He cleans us inside so that we're as clean as new.
PRAYER: Thank you Jesus, for being willing to come into our lives and make them clean. Help us to live for you so that we can stay clean. Amen. (JMD)
Measure Up
(An object lesson using a ruler)
How long do you think my arm is? Any guesses?
There's just one way to find out: measure it. (Use ruler to measure arm) That's how we tell how long something is — we use a ruler, or maybe a yardstick or tape measure. With a ruler you can measure lots of things.
But there's one thing a ruler can't measure: our lives. I can't take a ruler and find out if my life is what God wants it to be.
That's why God gave us His Word, the Bible. Here we read about the way God wants us to live, and as we read God's Holy Spirit helps us understand when our lives don't measure up to His plan. God gave us His Word because He loves us and wants us to live happy lives.
The Bible says, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path." That means God's Word helps us understand the things we should do. It's like God's measuring rod — but much, much better, because it also tells us about Jesus, who helps us live as we should.
PRAYER: Thank you, God, for giving us your Word, the Bible, so that we can know more about you and about your plan for our lives. Help us to study it, to learn its truths, and to apply them to our lives. Amen. (JMD)
