Crumbs on My Counter: God's Light Revealing Sin

Quiet Time in God’s Light

Even though I have a home office, for some reason I always gravitate to my dining room table to have my quiet time with the Lord. Perhaps it’s because the dining table is for breaking bread and fellowship, and my office is for work (hmm)…but I digress.

My house does not have a lot of natural light. There is only one main window in my open concept space, and it is in perfect alignment with my dining room and my kitchen. I usually have my time with God in the morning, so sitting at my dining table I get to enjoy the picturesque Amarillo sunrises, with their shades of vibrant pinks, oranges, and yellows.

At a certain time each morning, the sun illuminates the kitchen island's black countertop. Sometimes to my chagrin, I can see crumbs sprinkled on top left behind from the wipe down. The counter and room are too dark apparently for me to notice some of those crumbs, even during the day. Or perhaps I’m in too much of a hurry to really pay attention to those tiny white specks that can disappear in the lighter granite details swirled in the black. But they’re there. And in that moment there is no denying that my counter needs to be cleaned again. 

A Picture of the Soul

That real life image of crumbs on my counter serves as a reminder to me that while I sit in God’s presence, no matter what time of day that may be, His light exposes those little (and sometimes big) sins in my life.

1 John 1:5 tells us that “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”

At just the right time, His loving light shines into the darkest corners of my heart and reveals that which I don’t see—or choose not to see. While it could be uncomfortable and embarrassing to admit it’s there once exposed, denying it does me no good. And let’s remember that God exposes our sin because He loves us—not to bring shame to us or condemn us. Sin sabotages our connection with God. And it’s His heart's desire for us to remain in close relationship with Him. 

God’s Faithful Pursuit of His Children in Scripture

We will not live our lives perfectly because we are not perfect. Thankfully, for a truly repentant person who is saved by the work of Jesus on the cross, our disobedience does not cause eternal separation from our Father (Mark 10:45). But it does affect our relationship with Him. From Genesis to Revelation, we can see the faithful heart of the Father constantly pursuing His children when sin pulls them away:

• He established the priestly order and sacrificial laws so that Israel could atone for their sins. 

• He gave instructions for a tabernacle to be built where His presence dwelled so that Israel could take His presence with them wherever they went. 

• He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to make the once and for all atoning sacrifice for sin for all humanity. 

God’s Promise to Cleanse Us from Sin

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:9 

When God’s light exposes an area in our soul that needs to be cleaned, God’s faithful promise revealed in 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins to God, He is faithful and just to pardon us of our sin and purify us from evil. That brings me so much comfort. I can welcome God’s light into my soul daily with no fear of condemnation just as I open up the blinds and welcome the warm light of the sun into my home. And when it exposes that which makes me cringe, I can say “Thank you, Jesus!” I can genuinely thank Him for loving me so much that He wants to reveal to me anything that would come between us. And I can confess my sins so His cleansing power can do its work in me. 

What "crumbs" might God be gently highlighting in your heart today? Don’t be afraid to let His light in—He doesn’t expose to shame you, but to heal you.