Wednesday, January 25, 2012

'Typos

We have just enjoyed a week of real winter with lots of snow.
I love snow in all its beauty but particularly its ability to cover up anything and everything that offends.
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My girlfriend relayed to me an experience she had in her church service a couple of Sundays ago. The song leader was teaching the congregation a new song and everyone was concentrating on getting the notes right... singing each word as it came up on the screen.
It was only when they were singing the song for the second time .. that my friend suddenly caught her breath and looked over to catch her friend's eye who was shaking her head !
At the same moment, the pastor jumped up and rushing up to the song leader said.. "No, no .. I think we better correct that !"
The refrain of the new song contained a typo . The words everyone had been singing were...
"We will sin, shout and praise in heaven!"
An embarrassed wave of laughter rippled over the congregation as a quick adjustment was made in the lyrics. Sin to sing - one letter .. but a world of difference in meaning ..

When she told me the story , I , of course chuckled with her .. but then I thought about it .
Isn't that so true in our lives?
How often the things of this world distract us and we fail to notice the 'little' things that slip unnoticed into our thoughts, words, actions.
We are so focused on what we are doing we shift our attention and the sin 'typos' find an easy entry - a thought we fail 'to take captive' , a hurtful/angry word that slips off our tongue, an action/reaction that we leave in our wake.
When we have neglected our reading of the Word , our prayer time .... how long before we recognize that 'typos' have slipped onto the screen of our life ?
Perhaps others see them before we do !

On our computers we have 'spell check' --a life saver for me , IF I use it - but even if I do it does not catch a word that is misused.
As believers we have the Holy Spirit who 'spell checks' our hearts - but He doesn't miss anything. If we ask Him to check for 'typos' -- He will !
And in revealing, the Lord is also waiting to correct -- to forgive -- to cover with pure whiteness.

Job declared "My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You cover my iniquity. " Job 14:17
His words bring a picture to my mind of his sins in a trash bag, sitting at the curb covered in snow, waiting for garbage pickup .

Job was in the old covenant where sin was only 'covered', but for us in the New Covenant - Jesus has come. Our 'bags' of transgressions have been picked up and taken away - we need never see them again!
How good it feels to know we can be 'clean' before God -- able to come boldly into His Presence -- with joyful thanksgiving !
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7 comments:

Anneliese said...

This is a wonderful every day example, Julie! As much as it is difficult to bear the spellcheck (of sin)in our own lives it is so wonderful to know that we can have the white out of forgiveness.

ellen b. said...

How wonderful that God left us a helper on earth to check us and guide us back to him...

Anonymous said...

Julie, what a wonderful post to remind us of the following promises! Thank you.

Isaiah 1:18 ~~ "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Psalm 51:7 ~~ "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

I John 1:7 ~~ "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin."

What a wonderful truth it is that although none of us has personal righteousness, the perfect righteousness of Christ has been imputed to each one of us who are trusting in Him for salvation and forgiveness of sin!

~~Ruby Isaac

Judy said...

We can sing...we can shout...we can praise...because our sins have been covered. I like your 'object lesson'...of typos and white-out.

Marg said...

Yes, that is most interesting how spell check can make a huge difference.
I think that's why I love the blanket of snow...it hides all the mess...but I noticed that the sun is just poking out to greet you this morning. Have a wonderful day.

Bev K said...

Such a good lesson for us all. Thank you Julie

Elsie said...

I love the picture of the trash bag having been picked up and taken away! Nice object lesson. I recently came across a typo as well, when downloading a CD one song came up as "Angers We Have Heard On High".