This morning I read a good word out of Ruth that just went *ping* in my mind. You know me, the thought is then, "I need to share this." You may have gotten this far and said, "Oh, man. What does this have to do with needing a shower?" Yeah, it's just that good.
So before I get into the *ping* from Ruth, let me take you back. Let's head back into the days of when these people lived. Grab a map and check out some latitudinal lines. So Ruth is moving back with her mother in law to live in Bethlehem. In case you're wondering that would be the same latitude as somewhere between Charleston and Jacksonville, south of Savannah. We can understand the climate better when we look at it that way. Ok, so now we're heading back well over 2,000 years because we know Jesus is year 0. Ruth has genealogy that leads to King David. So we factor in those years, and well, we're quite some time now. Alright, you have your mindset on the time frame and climate. You know, heat, sweat, humidity, and no indoor plumbing or air conditioning happening. I recently finished the quintet series from Madeleine L'Engle that begins with "A Wrinkle in Time." One of their stories has twin brothers stepping back into the time of Noah. Madeleine (remember, we're bffs) does an amazing job in using smell as a descriptor for the boys to recognize certain people around them. One particular girl stinks. Obviously she isn't in a good crowd, but Madeleine states how the girl stinks from her B.O. (it's hot and humid just like here in SC) and then all the added perfumes and oils that the girl puts on to lure the menfolk. Okay, plain and simple, if you do not know what this smell is, enter a boys locker room in your local high school in between classes. Yes, the P.E. class ends, and the boys have sweated to high heaven. They don't shower. They change their clothes. The douse themselves in Axe body spray. My throat hurts just remembering it. My eyes are burning. Ugh, I can't. Now factor in that those boys took a shower before going to school!!! Oh MYLANTA! Today, we don't need all the perfumes and sprays. They're nice. In moderation they can really make a difference in the atmosphere. But it's extra for those of us that shower regularly. Thousands of years ago the need for oils and scents were necessary to cleanse one of the stench that came from living in heat and humidity, walking everywhere. Pouring oil onto one's head was dubbed "anointing." There were two ways to anoint, either by pouring oil or fat onto someone's head, or by rubbing it in. It was viewed as a gesture of cleanliness. Most often, people were anointed by others. We see prophets anointing the heads of kings. We see the prostitute anointing Jesus's feet. Today, you'll hear people speaking about the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This is Christianese for us being called to go do something, the Lord is in it, and the Holy Spirit is with us, filling us, and keeping us going into whatever it is we have been called. So often we, as believers, are waiting for that "anointing." We are waiting for someone - pastor, friend, parent, spouse - to tell us that we were meant for *whatever it is we're doing* and that they see the anointing of the Holy Spirit on us and the circumstances. There are many times people are called to action- be it a job, ministry, etc.- and they wait. They are waiting, though it is time! People today are so caught up in waiting for approval, they have confused it with anointing. Huh? Okay, time for Ruth. Ruth 3:3 Naomi is sending Ruth to Boaz in hopes of having her redeemed since he is her kinsman. Naomi tells Ruth to wash and anoint herself before going over to Boaz. WOO! Y'all, I was amped up when I read that. ANOINT YOURSELF. Those two words had me just about doing back flips in my bedroom. Why are we waiting? We have the anointing of the Holy Spirit already. If you are being called, anoint yourself! Then go! She does it. Ruth washes, anoints herself - pours oil over her head - and then goes to Boaz in the night. So many times have I heard the words, "I feel called to ... but I don't know how to start." Okay, here it is. Get up. Get yourself ready. Prepare yourself for whatever the ... is. And go. Do it. People, we need to shower up and go. It's an excuse. We are waiting for the approval of men rather than walking in the anointing of God. You don't know how to start? Take a Holy Spirit shower, read the Word, pray, seek God, and let Him lead you. If this were to happen on even a small scale, our churches would no longer stink. We'd all be so fresh and clean. What kind of change would it bring, if we all took a shower, let it pour over us? I think it's time to find out.
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