It’s a vast expanse where water merges into the sky… On a typical day you can’t see the shore on the other side of Lake Michigan. The waves roll in and wash upon the shores, and the air is rarely still. I spent a few hours climbing around the dunes, hiking trails and just enjoying being out in the beauty of creation. It was the perfect day, sunny and warm and there were not many people there – the ones who were there were mainly on the beach and not in the trails. So, I pretty much was alone for a few hours. It was so peaceful – just climbing and listening to the sound of the sand, birds, and nearby waves. As I was exploring, I was just asking The Lord to speak. After a few hours, I came down the big hills of sand through the woods and followed a winding trail, lined with tall grasses that led me to the beach. I walked for a while on the beach, just reflecting on the stuff of life.
I watched the waves come in and and out, wiping the sand clean time after time. “See how big this lake is? You can’t see the other side can you? The water just seems to disappear into the sky way out there. This lake is like a picture of my love for you – you can’t see the ending, because it has no ending. It’s incredibly deep and it is cleansing. See how it comes into the beach and wipes away what was there? That’s what I mean in 1 John 1:9 – when you confess your sin, I will be faithful to forgive you and cleanse you.” (1) I was sitting on my heels there by the water and picked up a stick and wrote the word “SIN” in the sand. As quick as I wrote the word, the waves came and erased it. No trace remained. I wrote another word and again, erased. This was such a great example of how this vast ocean of love can wipe out those sins that plague us day after day. When we draw upon His loves through the act of confession, He washes us clean and no trace remains. Beyond as far as you can see in any direction is how God forgets those things that have been washed clean.
We are pretty hard on ourselves, aren’t we? We see those thick letters scratched deep into the soft sand. Lie. Lust. Violence. Perversion. Sexuality. Hatred. Bigotry. And we remember every time we fail and mess up. After we confess God forgets and wipes it clean. “So often we thinking about ourselves negatively. We don’t measure up to our own expectations or what we think we should be. We gravitate toward negativity because it feels true. The lies (ie. unworthiness) feel true. And we let those feelings dictate truth. The reality though, is that these perceptions are false and the enemy uses them to keep us in bondage. But we are made in the image of God! We both represent Him and manifest His presence!” (2)
How powerful a thought! His love, so vast. His grace, so great. I am grateful indeed that because of His great love for me, my sin is washed clean.
Notes:
(1) – Word from the Lord
(2) – Londa Harwell