“I want to be broken over the sins of my heart. I wish I grieved over them more—even the little sins.”
A friend said this to me recently and I have been pondering her words ever since. She was concerned about the casualness of her heart toward those sins we deem “small.” Her reasoning? Not only is all sin seen as turning away from the Lord, but when we return to the Lord to receive mercy and reconciliation, we find the depths of His grace and love. In essence, our vision is sharpened and we see Him more clearly—we encounter the One who loves us enough to keep us from death and protect us in the strength of His embrace.
For the Bible says:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1
And if the Word is God, then He is the one who shines a light on all our steps.
Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105
And because we can clearly see our path through the Word, how much more do we realize He is with us, always leading us into the light with an outstretched hand? He is our comfort.
This God—His way is perfect, the Word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. – Psalm 18:30
Isn’t that refreshing? I find these Scriptures a delightful reminder of where I am to turn for my daily fuel. Like the Israelites in the desert, I am to gather my manna, my daily bread for it is sufficient for each day according to each person’s need. Isn’t that just incredible?
Now, I have a simple illustration of this need for clear vision when it comes to fuel. Perhaps it is the way the Lord tends to show me His ways, but all too often I get these sparks of thought that come from little moments throughout my day.
When pulling into a gas station, whether it is on a long trip or a simple run to the store, my dad will always clean the windshield. He has done this since I was a child. It doesn’t matter if it is covered in the ultimate demise of innumerable bugs, or just one. Either way he will take the time to clean that windshield. I asked him about it once and his simple answer was, “It’s distracting, I like to have a clear view.”
Is that not profound in light of the Word? While refueling his car, my dad takes the time to clean the window, to “clean the slate.” Even though bugs will still hit that windshield when he drives away, he always starts off with a full tank and a fresh view.
It’s simple, but do you find that illustration helpful? It’s a reminder that each day when we step into the Word, we are to clean our windshield and remove anything that distracts us from experiencing the true beauty of the Lord.
I don’t know about you, but I want to see clearly—no bugs or sins in my way. Will I sin again throughout my day? Of course, I am human. But with the Word dwelling in my heart, those sins will be washed away in the light, humbly brought before a Father who is tender toward a repentant heart.
So now, when you next go to the gas station, perhaps you might clean your windshield. Or better yet, every day as you encounter the Word, spend time laying all that is distracting and not of the Lord to the light and let Him wash it all away.
