Lately, I have envisioned my sin as sand. It is as numerous as the sand on the beach. A few months back, I unloaded bags of sand into my sons sandbox. It is heavy.
I love the story of the woman caught in adultery. I set out to draw Jesus as He wrote in the dirt with His finger (only again I envisioned it as sand). Have you ever wondered what He wrote? Loved, precious, compassion, Mine?
Amazing, the One that was without sin, the Righteous Judge himself, could have thrown a stone, and yet He did not condemn. As I dotted each grain of sand on the paper, I began to weep and laugh as the Lord restored to me the joy of my salvation. I could see His fingers once again blotting my sin and creating in me a clean heart.
Psalm 51
A Contrite Sinner's Prayer for Pardon.
A Contrite Sinner's Prayer for Pardon.
1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
4Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.
5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.
The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.
John 5:23
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded the women to stone such women, So what do you say?" This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you: go and from now on sin no more."
John 8:3-11
