Sin-Boots

It had been almost a month since we last saw our new friends.  She came around the corner with a huge smile and bubbling personality and he grinned ear to ear, ready to peel back more layers of the onion he claims us to be!  We introduced them to our son and quickly caught up before the church service started. 

She held out her leg and said “Look!!!” as she pointed to her boot. 

I was puzzled. 

My first thought was that I loved her brown boots, but I wasn’t sure why she was pointing those out to me.  Then she excitedly told us “My big BOOT is gone!  It’s healing!” 

How could I have forgotten?!  Weeks before she had injured her ankle and came to each of our group-study meetings with a huge boot and a limp.  The doctor finally allowed her to remove it and although she wasn’t healed completely, the boot was gone and her recovery was progressing. 

As we worshiped in their church service that morning, I thought to myself that I couldn’t believe I didn’t know what she was showing me.  I had hoped she didn’t think I had forgotten about her injury or failed to pray for or care for her healing in the weeks that followed our study-group ending.  I have prayed, I have been in touch with her, but for that moment Sunday morning I completely forgot about the boot she once carried. 

Then the whisper of God came.  The words my heart has been aching to hear:

You are not known by your limp. 

He called my attention to our pew full of those whose sins I have known, whose hearts have been laid bare before the throne, and who I love and admire.  My heart swelled because in this brief encounter with a friend, God was calling to me and loving me and making sure I understood His Truth without hesitation and without doubt. 

You see, there is an enemy of our hearts who comes to kill our life, and if not kill our very lives, then he sets out to steal and destroy our joy and our hope.  The enemy has a way of reminding us of where we once failed, where we have fallen short and of the things that once left us broken, unhealed and spiritually limping.  He determines to plague our days with guilt and take our trust in order to keep us limping and convince us that we will be known by our sin-boot.

But His Abiding Truth pierces the darkness because the darkness of sin once pierced His flesh.  God saw that we were all in need of a way to heal our broken, crippled selves and that we had no way of escaping sin on our own.  Our Gracious Father sent a baby King to be born in the most unlikely place, to make a way for the most undeserving people, and to die an unimaginable death so that we would no longer be prescribed to stumbling along in our sin. 

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Cleanse me with the hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whited than snow.”

Psalm 51:3, 7

 

That morning my friend explained how although her boot is removed, there is still much healing to take place.  After healing, there will be rehabilitation.  Yes.

Our hearts are much the same.

When we are tempted to believe the lies that are still grasping tight to our heels:

                Addictions.  Depression.  Anxiety.  Anger.  Lust.  Bitterness.  Guilt. 

                Times when a lapse in judgment cost us, cost another.  When weeping endured. 

                When the bottom fell out.  When darkness reigned.  Idolatry.  Adultery. 

    Whatever sin-boot may have once been….

                                                                                     We need to know the Truth.

 “He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 AMP

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”             

Psalm 103:12

 You are not known by your limp.

You are known by the Saving Grace of the cross.