Repent, … and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.   Acts 3:19

In years past, when I owned horses, I would go and harvest hay each fall. It was a hot and dirty job. We picked up the bales from the field and stacked them on a truck and ultimately into the barn. Inevitably, hay particles would rain down on me as I stacked the hay. The dusty debris would find its way into my clothing, my hair, and often my eyes. It would irritate my hot, sweaty skin. Oh, how I would long for a refreshing shower to wash the dirt and debris from my body!  Sin makes our soul just as dirty — and also breaks our relationship with a holy God. (See Isa. 59:2.) This reading is a prayer of repentance. King David prayed this prayer after being confronted by Nathan the prophet about his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. David recognized that his sins had separated him from God. As the psalm tells us, David understood that sincere repentance restores our relationship with God and brings times of refreshing.

At times we all have spiritual dirt in our lives. But when we examine ourselves and seek God’s forgiveness, we too can experience “times of refreshing.”

Wash away our sins, dear God, and restore to us “the joy of your salvation.” (Ps. 51:12.) Amen.