Everything looked perfect and sparkling after a day of cleaning.
With a flip of the switch, the gas logs in the fireplace added a touch of warmth. As I stood back and made a mental check to be sure everything was in place for my small group meeting, my eyes shifted to the closed door. If they only knew what that room looked like, I chuckled. I had stuffed a step ladder in the laundry room near some bins of Christmas decorations. A basket overflowed with laundry, stacks of magazines were on the dryer, and a large picture frame lay across the washer. Stuffed, stacked, and messy—all hidden from my guests.
David was in a messy place. Stuffed with memories of his haunting sin with Bathsheba, he became stacked with grief over his transgression. But he confessed and pleaded with the Lord for forgiveness. He was a man after God’s own heart, and God was gracious and merciful to forgive. David knew what God could do for him, and he earnestly prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
My laundry room was an object lesson of messy things. I asked God to reveal my shortcomings, slips, and weaknesses—maybe even characteristics I justify but behaviors and attitudes He calls sin. Like the flip of the switch that illuminated my room, I asked the Holy Spirit to illumine my attitudes and behaviors that weren’t pleasing to Him.
God’s promise holds: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). We can walk today with a fresh start and leave the door open with nothing to hide.
Ask the Lord to illuminate your mind and heart to the things in your life that have been stuffed and stacked and might be a little messy.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Marilyn Nutter loves finding treasures in unexpected places: gratitude in mulch, conversations with grandchildren, and secrets in an old trunk. Most of all, she has found the treasure of hope in loss. Unexpectedly widowed after forty-two years of marriage, she has found a brilliant treasure in Lamentations 3:22-23. After a career as a speech-language pathologist, Marilyn pursued writing and is the author of devotional books and a contributor to print, online publications, and compilations. She is co-author of the award-winning Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart. Her book Hope for Widows: Reflections on Mourning, Living, and Change will be released in 2024. She serves as a facilitator for Grief Support for Spouses and on the women’s ministry team at her church. Her blog encourages others toward hopeful living by weaving hope and purpose in their ordinary and challenging days.