"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
Isaiah 1:18
The Ultimate Stain Remover
My mom is a master at getting stains out of clothes. Raising four boys, she had to be. I can still remember seeing her standing at the laundry sink, scrubbing away at the knees of my Toughskin jeans. She was almost always successful. As I said, she is a master. There were times, however, when a stain was set too deeply for her to successfully remove. No amount of detergent or determination could get that stain out.
Sin can sometimes seem that way. The weight of a sin can hang heavy on your heart for days, weeks or even years. Perhaps it was a word said in anger that you wish you could take back. Was it a lack of involvement in the raising of your children? Does the disrespect you showed your parents while you were in your teens still make you cringe? Were you unfaithful to your spouse? Do the things you did while you were addicted make you hang your head in shame?
We all have sins we cannot forget. They stain our conscience like a splash of red wine on a white wedding dress. And no matter how much we beat ourselves up over them, we just can't make them go away.
Only God can. And he does. He said through the prophet Isaiah, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." God took the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, and used it to scrub away every, single stain of sin. No matter how deeply set that sin might seem, you have his promise that it has been removed. Your soul is as pure as the driven snow in his sight.
See yourself that way this day. Let go of your guilt and rejoice in God's gift of forgiveness.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, the guilt of my sins keeps coming to my mind and haunting me. Send your Holy Spirit to convince me that those sins are truly forgiven. Grant me the comfort and peace only your forgiveness can provide. Amen.
The focus of devotions on Thursdays and Fridays in January is Truth for Today.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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