One time, one of my friends casually commented that if you left a splinter in place, your body would expel it on its own. When you're eight years old, you know that children your age are the best source for medical advice, so I tried to follow his approach the next time I got a splinter. Unfortunately, it didn't work. The area around the splinter grew more and more inflamed, and the extraction process ended up taking more time and causing more pain than if I had dealt with the problem sooner.

Sin is like that. It's like a splinter in our soul. When we do something wrong, there's a voice that says, "Just leave it alone. Let it be. It will work itself out." But it doesn't. The longer we hide our mistakes and carry the guilt around with us, the more they fester and grow. In the Bible, in the book of Psalms, the writer says:

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" — and you forgave the guilt of my sin (Psalm 32:3-5).

Confession is good for the soul

We can't just hide the things we've done wrong. We have to get them out, or they will continue to torment us. If not, our conscience will not let us rest. When we go to God, seeking His forgiveness, He is quick to give it. He wants to forgive. He knows that what we most need is to confess that sin, to get it out of our being, so that healing may take place.

James, in his letter, writes: "Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4:8). Go to Him, and show Him the splinter, confess to Him the sin that is weighing you down. He wants to ease your burden. If you don't know how to approach God, I want to help you. Write me at tim@hopeforlife.org or leave a comment on our blog at www.hopeforlife.org.

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Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" This new life is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to know more about this life that only Jesus can give you, sign up for one of our Bible courses. Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. You may also contact us at info@hopeforlife.org if you have questions about becoming a new creation.

 

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© 2009 Herald of Truth

Title: "Splinters"
Author: Tim Archer
Publication Date: March 18, 2009

Two Hearts Praying as One by Dennis and Barbara Rainey "Praying together may be the single most important spiritual discipline you and your spouse will ever share," say the Raineys--it reduces conflicts and safeguards marriages from divorce.

Tim works for Herald of Truth and writes for HopeForLife. He is the co-author of Letters From The Lamb. You can reach him by writing to tim@hopeforlife.org.

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