Touched Up

Bible Reading: Romans 4:5-8

“We’re getting our school pictures tomorrow!” Andrea said one evening. “I hope mine turned out good.”

“Well, how good can they be?” asked her brother Matt. “After all, the camera can only take a picture of what it sees.” He grinned, then ducked when Andrea threw a small pillow at his head.

After school the next day, Andrea walked slowly into the house. “My pictures are awful!” she wailed. “They were taken right after recess, and it was so windy that day. I tried my best, but I couldn’t get my hair smoothed down very well. Eliana said it wouldn’t show that it was sticking out, but she was wrong! It shows!” Andrea threw the envelope of pictures down on the table in disgust.

Mom picked it up and opened it. “Oh, honey, these aren’t so bad,” she said. “But why did Eliana think hair sticking out wouldn’t show?”

“When her sister Dana had graduation pictures taken, she was afraid her hair was going to look bad too,” said Andrea. “But in Dana’s pictures, every hair was perfectly in place.” She frowned. “Nothing like the mess my hair is in!”

Matt laughed. “Like I told you, the camera can only show what’s there.”

“I’m sure Dana’s pictures were taken at a studio,” said Mom, “and the finished ones were touched up. That means little blemishes—like spots on her face or hairs out of place—were removed or covered.”

Matt snapped his fingers. “That’s right! A couple weeks ago, the speaker at our youth group was a photographer. He said people try hard to make themselves look good, but there are always things they can’t fix, so he has to touch up their pictures. He compared his work to what God does. He said people try to cover the wrong things they do, but no matter how good they make themselves look, God’s camera shows what’s there—a heart full of sin.”

“And only God can remove that sin,” said Mom. “He does that for anyone who trusts in Jesus as their Savior.”

“That’s what the speaker said.” Matt grinned at his sister. “So cheer up, sis. Your pictures may not be touched up, but your heart is. That’s what matters.” – Hazel Marett

How About You?

Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? There’s no way you can cover up or remove sin yourself, no matter how good you try to be. You might be able to hide your sin from other people, but not from God. It must be covered with the blood of Jesus—that’s the only way to be forgiven and have your sin removed. (See the ABCs of Salvation in the column to the right.)

Today’s Key Verse: Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Today’s Key Thought:

Let Jesus remove your sin