Clogged - Martin Wiles

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. Psalm 66:18 NLT

Slowly, the water creeped out of the sink. I suppose it’s the little things in life that cause the greatest aggravation.

When you have a slow-draining bathroom sink, the water can back up in a hurry. Although I’m not a plumber, I do know how to unscrew two plastic flanges and remove the gooseneck pipe under the sink. But in this case, the problem wasn’t there.

As I examined the sink stopper, I noticed globs of hair. I knew it didn’t belong to me—I’m almost bald—or my wife—who has short hair. I fingered the previous owner. With a sharp object, I removed globs of matted hair. While the sink drains faster, there is still a clog somewhere I haven’t discovered.

For the psalmist, the clog was sin. He knew what it was not to confess sin—in particular, the one called adultery he had committed with a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. Along with the lies and murder that followed. During the time he wasn’t confessing, God wasn’t listening.

Sin keeps God from flowing to me and me from flowing to others. It creates static in my relationship with him. Like the static that seeps in when I get too far from the radio station I’m listening to (for those of us who don’t have satellite radio).

Sin seems enjoyable—and is for the moment. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t sin. But sinning for the believer is contradictory. Jesus says if we love Him we’ll obey His commands, not the suggestions of our adversary. Though God can still hear me, I won’t feel as if He does. And He won’t answer my prayers. Nor will He send blessings my way—although He may well send discipline.

The cure for the clog is simple: acknowledge, confess, and determine. As with an addiction, I must acknowledge my sin before I can be cured. The clog won’t unclog without doing so. Then, as uncomfortable as it might be, I must confess that sin to God. He’s the only one who can do anything about it. His Son died to pay for it, so it has no business in my life. Finally, I must determine not to commit it—or any other sin—again. Case closed, clog freed.

Do you have a clog? Acknowledge it to God and experience the joy of free-flowing living.

Tweetable: Does God's love to you feel as if it's clogged?

Prayer: Father, unclog what is clogging up our relationship with You so we can experience joy in our relationship with You. 

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