Day 18: Sweepers, Sweepers, Man Your Brooms!

Psalm 51:2–3: (NIV) “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”

One of the constant messages we hear over the ship’s 1MC, the ship’s speaker system, is: “Sweepers, sweepers, man your brooms. Give the ship a clean sweep down fore and aft, sweep all decks, ladders, and passageways, take all trash to the appropriate waste processing stations, sweeper.” The ship gets dirty, easily and continually. Only constant, concerted effort care can ensure the proper upkeep of this great vessel. We hear this message many times a day.

Our lives are like that. We can get dirty before we know what it. Sin can turn up in some of the most unfortunate and unexpected places. We must constantly clean all decks, ladders, and passageways in our lives. And when we do, we must properly dispose of the dirt (sin) we might find. Therefore we must all make continual announcements to remind ourselves of this important responsibility: Sweepers, sweepers, man your brooms! Remember:

I am responsible for keeping clean this vessel that is my life,
I must get rid of, daily, all personal malice, envy, and strife;
Call me to account, Lord, for all I think, do, and say,
Lord, that I might be counted as clean, each and every day.

Questions to Consider:

• When was the last time you had a clean sweep-down?
• How difficult a task was this to accomplish?
• Can we assist others in accomplishing this task? If so, how?

Reflection for the Day:

• Consider what it feels like to have undiscovered sin. Then consider how we feel when discovered sin is swept away!