I have a terrible habit of spilling things. No matter how hard I try not to…something often makes its way onto my shirt. As much as I try to avoid the spillage…it’s almost inevitable. And the more I like the shirt the better chance there is of having something leave a trail.

Sometimes I am lucky enough to get the stain out but many times the stain remains. Once that shirt has been marked it doesn’t matter how well I think I’ve gotten it clean…that mark is all I see! I can receive compliments on the shirt all day long…and still I feel like that stain is like a neon light.

Our conscience can be a lot like that. Regardless of how well we manage to come clean, how often we ask Jesus to wash our sins away, and apologize to those we’ve offended, we find it hard not to see the stains from our past. Finding the strength to stop focusing on our mistakes and giving ourselves grace is probably one of the hardest things we have to do. But God invites us into His presence for just that reason.

This is what GOD said about our stains in Isaiah 1:18 (MSG). He said, “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.” This is God’s Message: If your sins are blood-red, they’ll be snow-white.” We couldn’t be washed clean without the blood of Jesus. Because of what Jesus did for us, there is nothing too deep or dark, big or small, hidden or widespread, that can’t be washed clean by Jesus’ blood. Who are we to insist on seeing the stain when God says those stains are gone?!!