No Disguise

 Morning with Beverly Archives: May 30, 200202
No Disguise

A mess can never be disguised -- no matter how hard you try.  When I returned home today, there were no clean cups in the cabinet.  Why?  Because they were all dirty and neatly stacked in the sink ... three foot high! Dirty, yes ... but neatly stacked.  God isn't fooled nor pleased by the tidiness of our lives -- He's more interested in the purity of our hearts.  I'm always amazed at how my self-righteousness melts at God's Word, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." (Psalm 26:2)  I shrink when I recall my attitudes, my reactions, my words, my impatience ... as well as the things my heart and mind feed upon. God's answer lies in Verse 11, "But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me."  The mess sin causes may appear neat and tidy, but it is never pretty to God.  We must see the mess, confess it, and allow God to clean it up.  The results need no disguise!

Dear Lord, I confess my sinful heart before You, and offer it to You to cleanse and restore as You desire.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.