HEART THOUGHTS from Helen

"You cannot purify the water by painting the pump." (Adrian Rogers)

We all know the function of a pump. It propels water by forcing it through a pipe. The pump, though important, serves only as the means of obtaining the water or whatever else happens to be in the well.

The recent and current news coverage of the uncontrollable oil leak from the floor of the Gulf of Mexico reminds us of the grave importance of accuracy and safety in pumps. In the spring of my twelfth year I learned how to use a hand pump. More importantly, I discovered just how vital water is to everyday life.

Our family lived for a short while in Angola, Indiana, where my Daddy joined the road construction force that built the Indiana Turnpike. Before housing became available, we lived in a rather primitive cottage, situated beside a small fishing lake. By primitive, I mean, we did not have indoor plumbing and frequented a small house behind the house for necessities. The kitchen (?) inspired my mother's ingenuity to say the least and my sister, Judy and I learned how to prime a pump, among other things. To obtain water to do all the things that water does, we pumped water into the kitchen sink and proceeded from there with our daily chores, always leaving enough water contained to pour into the pump to prime it for the next person. Water first, then other things.

The pump, obviously very old, was not a thing of beauty. The pure water that we urged from its well, however, cleansed us, fed us and hydrated our bodies. It was essential for our livelihood. The appearance of the pump had nothing to do with the purity of the water that flowed upward from the well. As my Mother so aptly quotes: "What's in the well comes up in the bucket", or pump as the case may be.

Three of the special uses for water in Scripture include cleansing, purification, and baptism. Moses, instructed by God, told the Israelites to wash themselves physically and spiritually, to prepare to meet Jehovah God for worship. (Exodus 19:10) Washing on the outside doesn't do a thing for the inside. God demands spiritual cleansing before we can come into His presence to commune with Him.

Are you having trouble communicating with the Father? Showering your body, (painting the pump) may improve your outward appearance and that's good, but more importantly, launder the inside. HOW? Come clean with Christ Jesus about your sin. Keep short accounts on a daily basis. Sometimes, moment by moment, we need to confess. You do remember when Jesus took up the basin and the towel to wash His disciples' feet. Peter objected at first and then told the Lord to wash him all over if that was required. Jesus reassured Peter that he was already clean within but needed that daily cleansing from walking in the world. The feet would do nicely this time. (John 13:6-10, my paraphrase) He who died for our sins prepares us for spiritual unity..the washing of the water by the Word (Ephesians 5:26).

Painting the pump may improve the outward appearance, but purifying the water within requires more than a bucket and a brush.