When God created man, He looked at the world in His hands and said, "This is good. This is as it should be." But then sin came in and dropped dots of ink on us, staining our hearts. These stains ran deep, spreading out to cover our whole lives. They bred pride, lust, gluttony, wrath, envy, sloth, and greed, which grew like the branches of a tree to dip their tempting little fingers into our humanity.
True, we try to hide the marks. We put layer upon layer over them, but no matter how thick the sweater or how long the hem, they bleed straight through, ruining everything they touch. Our sin runs, rampant and uncontrollable. It never stops consuming all in its wake. These stains marked us as no longer perfect, as abominations in the sight of the maker. No one would accept a people as stained as us.
However, Psalm 51 reads, "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place." The Lord sees through all our makeup. He notices the blemishes and knows we are flawed. But in His grace and love, He "provided a way of out" (1 Cor 10:13).
Besides the blessing of a Savior, God gave man a unique and incredible gift. The Bible.
So often neglected and taken for granted. We all know it is there (even those who don't believe) and that it holds profound truths. Unfortunately, we don't always appreciate the extent of its influence. Imagine how it would feel to be taught "wisdom int he inmost place"! Deep down in your soul, understanding and believing absolute truth. The recipe for removing stains is simple and in actuality requires less of us than we like to think: "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 16:31). And what is more, it is the desire of the Lord of us to know this. That is certainly the wish of a loving Father.
In our world, we see sin. We see heartache and feel it worst of all. It's not hard to recognize evil around us, the stains on other people. When looking at our own messes, the image becomes less clear. We know ourselves less than we know anyone else. Within ourselves we argue, we second-guess. We think we have discovered the secrets of the world as we lay in bed only to forget them the next morning. It's almost humorous how ignorant of our own flaws we really are.
Though Christ has cleansed us, it does not end these. Psalm 51:10 says, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Renew. This is a daily battle, this fighting off the stains. When the Father looks at us, He no longer sees an article ruined, a mere shadow of the masterpiece it was intended to be. He sees His Son, but we still live in these mortal bodies that still bare the scars of sin. Constantly, the Lord must "renew a steadfast spirit" within each of us. The Word is such an asset in this! If only we would all know in our "inner parts" the reliability of this.
It's incredible, the love of the Lord, and it never sees to amaze me. Even when I fall away and forget that He is the one who brings all things, who completes me, He picks me back up again. Sometimes gently, sometimes with a kick. Knowing that He has made me fearfully and wonderfully is the best gift of all. As we enter a new year, I hope we will all realize this and will appreciate the magnitude of His blessings.
