“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
Several years ago Louise and I were all set for a wonderful week of relaxation and hunting. The old back woods cabin we were staying at provided just the right setting for a comfortable base camp to operate from. Unfortunately, the weatherman had a different plan in mind. The torrential rains and heavy wind provided less than perfect hunting conditions.
After considerable rainfall, I noticed that two gutters were overflowing with water. The raging water began to wash away some of the foundation that supported our frail hut. It became apparent the drainpipe wasn’t the problem but the drains themselves. Further investigation with a rod showed that the drain lines themselves were clogged. Oh, what a joy! After some digging and a visit from someone called “Rescue Rooter” the drains once again flowed properly.
It is amazing how a little root can leverage its way into a drain. Over time it begins to grow, trapping small particles of dirt and other debris. What seems so faultless can become a major disruption to a normal system. If left unchecked this problem could have triggered an erosion problem that might have caused our cabin to slide down the hill.
Even though this problem took precious time and resources away from our hunting trip, it caused me to think about the effects of sin in our lives. Daily we struggle with those little annoyances and temptations that can begin to accumulate into a major problem. It’s those little exaggerations that can lead to half-truths, which then lead to outright lies. Perhaps it is that off-colored joke that then leads to inappropriate comments to members of the opposite sex, which can become flirting and so on.
Our lives daily get clogged with roots of disobedience that trap particles of sin. According to scripture we need a service call from the Holy Spirit and a touch of the Good News to help cleanse our minds and hearts from the daily sin that life can bring. It is wonderful that God’s grace has already been provided. We need to just ask Him for the forgiveness and guidance.
Jesus came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). None of us are without sin (dirt and roots); we are all clogged drains to some degree (John 8:7). Because of God ‘s grace, sin need not be our master (Romans 6:14).
Aren’t you glad that our “clogged drains” don’t require any special and expensive service call? The amazing grace God provides is free and available to each of us anytime day or night. Have you unclogged your drains today?
Personal Application
I encourage you to read Psalms 51:3. What is the thought the Psalmist is projecting?
How can you better keep temptation in check I Corth. 10:13?
What built in accountability do you have?