Friday, November 15, 2013

The Case of the Missing Tree



Powerful winds often topple entire trees. Other times the wind only blows the top off a dead tree and leaves the base standing. That happened a few years ago at the lake. Usually the top of the tree ends up lying close to the decapitated trunk. Not this time.

The wind drove its top across the lake until it landed near the shore of our cottage. I thought we were stuck with this huge tree grounded firmly on our beach forever. I tried to be positive about the situation by dreaming of my grandsons straddling that dead wood and pretending to be driving a boat. But I was wrong.

This year the top of that dead tree disappeared in another wind storm. Curious, I searched for it in the canoe. My husband thought it had likely drifted out into the middle of the lake and sunk to the bottom.

Thinking of that missing tree reminded me of the sins of a believer. God promised, “As far as the east is from the west, so far he has removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12, NIV). Likewise Jeremiah writes, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34, NIV). Then Micah states, “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19, NIV).

How reassuring! Our sins are just like that missing tree. God will never confront us with our sins and demand payment because the precious blood of Jesus paid the price. His blood covers the sins of believers. As far as God is concerned your sin is lost in the depths of the sea. Of course, this implies true repentance and not a license to sin.   

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