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Listen while you read: "This Is My Father's World"1 (Lyrics) |
Jeremiah 16:17 – I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me. (NLT)
It all began so innocuously. One day last summer, I noticed a small bump, about four millimetres in diameter, close to the outer corner of my eye. I poked and prodded it a bit, and it bled a little, so I knew that I should probably just leave it alone. Over the next couple of months, I mostly ignored this new little blemish, but one day at a routine appointment, my doctor noticed it and referred me to a dermatologist.
The dermatologist's exam and biopsy led to surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma. This was not the life-threatening variety of skin cancer, but it still needed to be dealt with. The cancer was caught early, and the small tumour was completely removed, but it was not without consequences. Follow-up care of the incision involved no lifting or bending, hourly icing for a couple of days, dressing changes, and removal of sutures. My eye was black and swollen for days, and I will have a lifelong scar to remind me of what might have been.
When I asked the surgeon what might have happened had I continued to ignore this tiny bump — or had my sharp-eyed doctor not spotted it — he explained that the visible bump was only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. A tumour like this can have a larger mass under the surface with roots and tendrils that can grow and severely damage surrounding areas. Had this lump not been removed, he said, my eyelid could have been badly damaged and deformed, and possibly my eye as well. How grateful I was to have dealt with this issue before serious damage was done.
Sin can be like this. We may tolerate or even enjoy some small sin that we consider to be innocuous or irrelevant to anyone else. It may take someone else — like my doctor — to force us to see and acknowledge our sinful action. That sin may seem to be insignificant on the surface, but there are hidden roots under the surface. If allowed to grow, the sin can spread and cause serious, long-lasting damage. Complete removal of the sin is necessary to deal fully with it.
After the sin is dealt with through confession and God's forgiveness, there still may be residual effects before healing is complete. We may need to confess our actions to others, making recompense. Recovery may be slow and painful, and there may be a residual scar as a permanent reminder, but a clean excision of the sin brings peace and a renewed relationship with God.
Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, You see and know our hearts and the sin that we think is insignificant or deeply hidden. Please reveal that sin to us, and cause us to deal with it, asking You to remove and forgive it. May we then receive Your healing work. Amen.
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Thank you.
A good word for today, Gail.
Thanks, Gail. This is a good example for an important issue.
Oh ouch! Thanks for sharing this root canal of a devotional with us.
Thanks be to God for the cross of Christ Jesus and His cleansing sacrifice! Blessings.
Enjoyed your devotional. You have turned your experience into a lesson or two lessons for all of us. The main one is about hidden sin and the second not to ignore any moles or bumps that appear.
“This is our Father’s World”. Today we appeal to God for help in these days of war and chaos. Guide us to peace and understanding.
Another lesson – basal cell cancer returns. Diligence is necessary. Sin too is always a threat and prayer is vital.
Good one Gail.
So glad you were able to get that little tumour dealt with too!
Be blessed.
Pretty neat how God can use almost any life experience, good or bad to point us to Him and the truth of His word!
Thanks for writing a great devotion. So glad the doctor got it in time.
When you talk of sins, it reminds me of my Dad. He always said, “sins are like weeds, you have to get them when they are small”. I always thought that was a good quote. Thanks again for your devotion.
(Ontario, Canada)
Dear Gail, what a situation you had to deal with when thinking it was something quite insignificant. Thankfully your doctor recognized what it was and rectified it. Through your writing you created a very special analogy relating to sin. You do a great job of correlating situations in everyday life with the magnificent work of our Lord Jesus Christ and the great benefits we receive through faith in Him. Blessings for your writings.
Good morning, Gail,
I am glad you have an eagle-eyed doctor and that everything worked out well for you.
I like your prayer to ask God to reveal any hidden sin so that we can deal with it. I have not thought of doing that before, but it is important. For a long time, I didn’t realize that even thinking something could be a sin, so I have lots to learn. Devotionals really help me learn along with Bible study, reading the Bible, and good friends. Sin definitely can have unknown consequences which can hurt others.
Thank you for sharing a piece of your personal journey and using it to help us understand hidden sin. May you be blessed with good health as well as good writing to help others. Blessings.