God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
Candles fascinated me when I was a young girl; they were so decorative and beautiful! When I visited my aunt’s home and noticed two very tall white tapers in candle holders on her table, I was impressed. I had no idea what they were made of, however, and my curiosity got me into trouble. When no one was looking, I took a candle and bit into it to find out how it tasted.
When my aunt discovered the “teeth-marked” candle, she asked which one of us had bitten the candle. We all denied it. When she passed the candle around to see if our teeth fit the marks on the candle, I realized I was caught.
Likewise, how useless our denial and excuses for our sins must sound to our Lord! But we know he forgives us if we but ask. We should be thankful that God loves us so much that he gave his only Son, Jesus, to blot out every set of “teeth marks” we leave in life.
By Jane Bartz, originally published in The Secret Place, Fall, 1996.