Weeding Out Sins

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

My name is Xochitl Dickson. Today I'll be reading Weeding Out Sins. When I noticed a sprig budding next to the garden hose by our porch, I ignored the seemingly harmless eyesore. How could a little weed possibly hurt our lawn? But as the weeks passed, that nuisance grew to be the size of a small bush and began taking over our yard. Its stray stalks arched over a portion of our walkway and sprouted up in other areas.

Admitting its destructive existence, I asked my husband to help me dig out the wild weeds by the roots and then protect our yard with weed killer. When we ignore or deny its presence, sin can invade our lives like unwanted overgrowth and darken our personal space. Our sinless God has no darkness in Him at all. As His children, we're equipped and charged to face sins head on so we can walk in the light as He is in the light. Through confession and repentance, we experience forgiveness and freedom from sin because we have a great advocate, Jesus. He willingly paid the ultimate price for our sins, His lifeblood, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. When our sin is brought to our attention by God, we can choose denial, avoidance, or deflection of responsibility. But when we confess and repent, He weeds out sins that harm our relationships with Him and others.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 John chapter 1 verse 5 to chapter 2 verse 2. This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. Let's pray. Loving Father, please uproot the sins from our lives so we can grow closer to You and others. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. And today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.