My mulberry tree in the backyard has a branch of yellow leaves on it. I noticed it some time during the middle part of June. I figured that it must be from the lack of water.

Every time I look at my tree, my eyes are drawn to those yellow leaves. Now there are more green leaves on that tree then yellow, yet I notice those yellow leaves every time. I can’t avoid them and I can’t pretend they are not there.

That got me thinking one day. Sin in our lives is like those yellow leaves. It’s very noticeable and hard to ignore. We can try to cover sin up by doing good deeds, going to Church and doing all the right ‘Christian’ things. BUT the sin in our lives will stand out among all of that. You may even be able to cover sin up pretty well and fool the people around you BUT there is One that you will never be able to fool.

The Bible reminds us in 1 Samuel 16:7, that the Lord looks at our hearts and sees and understands things that humans don’t see or understand. It’s in our heart, where our sin stands out to the Lord like those yellow leaves.

After I noticed the yellow leaves in my tree, I began looking around at other trees. Guess what, there are lots of trees with a speck of yellow leaves! Every one of us is like those trees! "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8 NIV) Each one of us has a speck of yellow leaves – sin in our lives.

Yet there is good news! In verse 9 of that same chapter we read, "If we confess our sins, He (Jesus Christ) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." You know there is no hope for those yellow leaves on those trees. They will eventually drop to the ground.

That is where the similarity ends. For you and I there IS hope! Hope in and through Jesus Christ! This month, take time to sincerely pray as David prayed in Psalm 139:23,24; "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."

Let the Lord take your yellow sin leaves and make them whiter than snow!