This past Tuesday, as I was setting up the kids’ slip-n-slide in the backyard, I had the unfortunate occurrence of stepping on a honey bee. He was minding his own business, quickly going about from clover to clover when, out of the blue, this human lady steps on him and he lets her know he is NOT HAPPY about being stepped on! Talk about hurt! Its been years since I was last stung, so I forgot about the sensation of a hot needle piercing through my skin. I hobbled over to the back steps, all the while saying, “Ow, ow, ow, ow!” Two wide-eyed kids followed closely behind me, wondering what was going on. I sat down and removed the stinger out of my little toe. No, I did not take a picture of the stinger, but I did show it to the kids. (Even unfortunate events like this can be learning experiences!) I placed the thin black stinger so it was sticking upwards on the tip of my finger, and we watched as the venom sack continued to pump, moving the little stinger back and forth. Amazing. Good thing I acted quickly and removed the stinger within a short amount of time. I have read how the longer a stinger is in, the worse the reaction can be. But, even with quick action, I have still had to endure unpleasant side effects these past few days - redness, pain, swelling, intense itching, and a loopy head from the Benadryl I’ve been taking.
This got me to thinking... I guess sin in our lives can act the same way as that bee sting. Just one sin can cause many consequences (side effects) in our lives, and those effects sometimes take awhile to disappear - sometimes they never do. However, we know that God does forgive us when we ask Him; and he uses these consequences in our lives to make us wiser, while drawing us closer to Himself. If we are unwilling to quickly make amends (pull that stinger out), our spiritual lives will suffer. But, confessing our sins brings healing and a renewed relationship with the Lord. Here is a passage I found that talks about this very thing...
Ps 32:1-5 - Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 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. Selah. 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. Selah (NIV)
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