---STOP HIDING ~~

--"Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth."
---[Revelation 1:5] --

---I smelled something burning, so I hurried to the kitchen. Nothing was on the stove or in the oven I followed my nose through the house. My nose led me to my office and then to my desk. I peeked beneath it, and there, peering back at me with big eyes pleading for help, was Maggie, our dog--our very "fragrant" dog. That "burning" smell now had the distinct odor of skunk. Maggie had gone to the farthest corner of our house to escape the foul smell, but she couldn't get away from herself.

Maggie's dilemma brought to mind the many times I have tried to run away from unpleasant circumstances only to discover that the problem was not the situation i was in but me. We run away from situation thinking we can escape the unpleasantness--only to discover that the unpleasantness is us.

The only way to escape ourselves is to stop hiding, acknowledge our waywardness, and let Jesus wash us clean (Revelation 1:5). I am grateful that when we do sin, Jesus is willing to give us a brand new start. ~~

--"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -- [1 John 1:9] .
~~~~~