Did you take a bath today? Leviticus 19-21

Our society rewards itself and prides itself on the simplest of acts: Cleanliness.  We spend more money on lotions than any industrial nation.  The "Toiletry Industry" has an annual revenue of $35 billion.   We love our soap.  Add to that the plumbing industry for showers and tubs, the non-soap products and you get the sense we like to be clean.  As I was writing this devotional my wife just informed me I can get in the shower now.   Apparently I need a bath.   Getting clean after a hard days work is a habit.  Taking a shower after a great work out is refreshing.   Washing the filth off after an episode in the dirt is necessary.   That is way Leviticus 20:8 is such a great passage for us:
You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

The word "sanctifies" in this passage means that God "cleans" us.  God is in the business of bringing the entire cosmos to our aide in the cleansing process.  Christ's death, burial and resurrection was for the purpose of cleaning us ... from sin.  We are filthy.  Despite all of our cosmetics and soaps and lotions and plumbing, we are in filth ... in sin.  His Son cleanses us from all unrighteousness and then His Word washes us further (Ephesians 5:26).   In this verse in Leviticus we see the same thing Paul was telling us in Ephesians ... God has provided His statues and wants us to practice them so that through them, He can sanctify us ... or, cleanse us.  If you took time today to read God's Word that was a bath for you.   I have bumped into people who don't take a daily bath.   It is not a pleasant site ...or, smell I should see.   I have watched others not wash their hands after using the rest room.  It is not a pleasant thought.  We would not allow our children to go days without washing hands, limbs and bodies.   But, we will go without the Washing of the Word ...sometimes for days.   We here people all the time say they don't have time to read God's Word.   They "can't" get into the habit.   Yet, that is like not taking a bath.  And, you don't have to tell us you didn't have time to read the Word (take a proverbial bath), we will all be able to tell quite easily.   I hope you enjoyed your bath this morning in Leviticus ... I know the rest of us are glad you took one.