"Ouch!" cried Wren as she climbed into the tree house her dad was building. Dad stopped hammering and raised his brow. "I hurt my finger," Wren said.

"Let me take a look." Dad put his hammer down and studied her finger. "You've got a sliver, but don't worry, I'm an expert sliver remover! Just as soon as I'm finished here, I'll take it out."

Wren squirmed. "It's okay. It's not that big. I'll just leave it."

"Not a good idea," said Dad, digging through his toolbox. He frowned. "That's strange. My tape measure isn't in here. Well, I can work without it for now."

"Tape measure?" Wren asked, suddenly feeling guilty. And as the afternoon wore on, she felt more and more guilty. She knew what had happened to the tape measure.

"Dad, this sliver really hurts," Wren said that evening. "I think I need help from an expert sliver remover after all."

"Oh, that's right--I forgot about your sliver!" Dad got out the tweezers. "Slivers don't go away on their own." Wren winced as he pricked her skin. "There," Dad said. "It's out."

Wren looked at the tiny fleck Dad was holding. "I can't believe something that small could hurt so bad," she said.

"This little sliver reminds me of what we call 'little' sins," said Dad. "We think they don't really amount to much and shouldn't hurt anybody. But if we're sensitive to how Jesus wants us to love others, they cause us grief until we confess them and get them removed. We could call them sin slivers."

Wren sighed. "Dad, I…" She hesitated. "I need another sliver removed--a sin sliver that's been bothering me all day. I took your tape measure. I know I'm not supposed to go in your toolbox, but I used it to take measurements for a treasure map, and then I lost it in the woods. I'm sorry. I should have told you right away."

"So that's where it went!" said Dad. "Well, I'll have to get another tape measure, but at least I won't be hunting for that one anymore. I'm glad you told me, and I forgive you. Even better--Jesus promises to forgive the sins we confess too."

–Jody Hedlund

How About You?
Is there a nagging sin you need to confess? Maybe you fibbed to your parents or bent the rules to win a game. It may not have seemed like a big deal at the time, but any sin, no matter how big or small it seems, hurts both you and others. Don't wait any longer. Confess your sin to Jesus and to anyone else you've sinned against and ask for forgiveness.

Today's Key Verse:
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. (NLT) (Proverbs 28:13)

Today's Key Thought:
All sin hurts you--confess it

Sin Slivers