Pastor and teacher Bob Mumford once told of an encounter he had with an elderly woman in a congregation where he was pastoring many years ago. He asked her how she was getting along and she told him very candidly that God was dealing with her sin. When he asked this sweet old lady what sin in particular God was dealing with, he was surprised by her answer: “Pastor, God seems to be looking past my everyday sins and has gone to the basement. He seems to be dealing with original sin.” Does that resonate with you at all? It does with me! Although I have plenty of “everyday sin” in my life to deal with, I sometimes have the sense that God wants to get past those to get to the root. I am aware that I am a sinner. And I’m aware that my sin is deeper than just the things I do—it’s more connected to who I am. What can we do about that? Today, let’s take a few moments to consider a passage from Psalm 19:

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psa. 19:12-14)

In this passage, David writes that he is aware there is hidden sin in his life. In fact, it is so well hidden that it’s even hidden from him! This isn’t very unusual—it’s true for all of us. We are all so damaged that we are sinners, way down deep in our essence. Sin isn’t just robbing liquor stores and beating up our grandmothers—sin is any way of thinking and acting that takes our attention from pleasing God and focuses our attention on ourselves. Remember, the essential principle of sin is selfishness. In today’s passage, David recognizes his weakness and he begs God to cleanse him from the sins which lurk undetected within his own heart. Do you and I love God as much as King David? Are we willing to ask God to go into the basement in our life and start digging around? Would you do it today? God will surely answer that prayer and He will surely help you, just as He will help me, to become more like Jesus...and that is very Good News!