Washed By The Water

“You’ll never look at water the same way again.” That’s been the tagline in a series of Wisconsin Dells advertisements, in which the person featured has a “splashback” (a flashback moment after being splashed in the face with some water) that takes them back to their vacation in the Dells. For example, this mom in the car wash, doing what I’ve always wanted to try.

Obviously a memorable vacation for her…

Water is a powerful substance, yet it’s also one of the simplest.  You only need 2 atoms of hydrogen and 1 atom of oxygen in the same place.  Then chemistry happens, and you end up with water.  Pretty basic. How is something that simple so powerful? We’ve all seen, either in the news or firsthand, the power of water in large quantities.  You can find numerous videos of whole houses being carried off, or four lane roads being washed away in an instant.

But even in small amounts, water is still crazy powerful.  Water is the number one physical necessity to sustain life. According to my quick Google search (I promise just to double check my facts), you can survive for 72 hours without water.  Let me just go ahead and state the obvious for you. That’s not a long time. Water = life.

In addition to drinking it, you know, to stay alive, we also use water to wash.  To wash our clothes, our dishes, ourselves, our everything, and being clean is a pretty good feeling.  Everything is refreshed and renewed. Close your eyes and imagine you just got out of the shower, and now you’re drinking a cold glass of water. Niiiiiiice, right?

Basic H2O.  Not only does it do all of the above for us, but it’s also God’s tool of choice many times.  His whole creation has turned against Him? Put one family on a boat, and use WATER to refresh the Earth.  Time to bring His people to the promised land, on the OTHER side of the Red Sea? Can’t go over it, can’t go under it, have to go through it.  Time for Jesus to start his ministry? Change this WATER into wine.  What physical thing can be done to bring people into His family and remind them that they have been washed of their sins? Let’s baptize with WATER. In our baptism, God, along with scripture, uses water to “mark us as one redeemed by Christ.” In this, we’re promised DAILY washing of our sins, as well as life, sustained by Him.  

Our first “Music with THE Message” study looks at NEEDTOBREATHE’s “Washed by the Water.” Check out these lyrics.

Even when the rain falls

Even when the flood starts rising

Even when the storm comes

I am washed by the water

No matter what we’re facing in life, we are continually washed by the water.  When we understand this, we’ll never look at water the same way again.