Ruth Bell Graham in a
devotional once told the story of some fisherman in the highlands of Scotland
who came into a little Scottish inn late one afternoon for a cup of tea. As one was describing “the one that got away”
to his friends, he flung out his hands in the typical fisherman’s gesture. He
did so just as the waitress was setting down his cup of tea. The resulting
collision left a huge tea stain spreading on the whitewashed wall. The
fisherman apologized profusely. Another gentleman seated nearby said, “Never
mind.” Rising, he took a crayon from his pocket and began to sketch around the
ugly brown stain. Slowly there emerged the head of a magnificent royal stag
with antlers spread. The man was Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, England’s foremost
painter of animals. Graham continues, “Now if an artist can do that with an
ugly brown stain, what can God do with my sins and mistakes if I but give them
to him?” In Isaiah 1:18 we find the answer. "Though
your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red
like crimson, They shall be as wool. Here we are told about the divine
exchange; God’s ability to turn every ugly mess into a masterpiece. And the
truth of the matter is nothing pleases Him more. That’s why we see Him depicted
in scripture as the potter, sculptor, painter the priest. I’m sure with every one
of us a mere reflection of our past would reveal multitudes of sin splatters and
stains that could be held against us.
However, while their existence may remain etched in our memory, they
cannot be found in God’s. He long ago with the brush of grace turned our rags
into riches.
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