The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Splish splash I was taking a bath, long about a Saturday night. Every now and then I get the chance to fill the tub with hot water, salts, and oils and take a long soak. This past Saturday night was one of those chance nights. It was a wonderfully full week and I was pretty worn out. However, I also needed to wash my hair. I love the smell of lavender and peppermint, but I didn’t think my hair would appreciate the Epsom salt and baking soda that I put in my bath water.
So this tired mama just decided to take a quick shower to wash my hair and then jump over into the tub for some relaxation. It worked out great. I put my wet hair up in a bun and it functioned as a nice tub pillow!
As I soaked I began to think about all that God has done for me through His son, Jesus. Just like my shower cleansed my hair, the blood of Jesus washed away my sins. He died once, for all. That means the moment that I put my faith in Him, I was forgiven. I am a new creation, washed in His blood.
Now I’m free to forever soak in His marvelous love for me. As I laid in the bath with the warm water covering me, His word came to mind how His love surrounds and protects me. Like my bath water, His love is infused with all kind of good things like comfort, guidance, peace, and joy just to name a few. It molds to my spirit and meets me exactly where I am.
Because I can trust that my sins were forgiven on the cross, I can rest securely in God’s love.
But wait, it gets better. As I was enjoying this moment of peace I heard the rapid footsteps of a small child running toward my room. I could recognize them immediately and quickly tried to find cover before my youngest son barged in. He was carrying a leftover balloon from the week’s birthday celebrations and took great delight in throwing it into my bath. I felt like God wanted to add to this analogy that, as His children, not only are we surrounded by His love – He rejoices over us with gladness and celebrates us! Like throwing balloons in the bathtub of His love, He exults over us.
The next time you get to take a nice warm bath, put a few balloons in as a reminder that as the Lord’s love surrounds you He also celebrates you!