"O God, thou knowest my foolishness;
and my sins are not hid from thee." ~ Psalm 69:5
and my sins are not hid from thee." ~ Psalm 69:5
So confessed King David. Whenever I have something to repent of, this passage leaps to my mind. I am often appalled at my own behavior, though usually too late, after it's been exposed or I'm afraid that it will be. Why do I continue in my foolish ways, and to sin, knowing that the Lord is well aware of what I'm doing even if no one else is?
We may hide or fail to confess our sins in order to escape the shame and potential punishment naturally attending them, although God intended those very consequences to discourage bad behavior. Worse, we may hide or avoid confessing our sins so that no one interferes in our wrongdoing and we can continue to have whatever satisfaction it brings ("Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." Proverbs 9:17). Nevertheless, by concealing or ignoring our sinful ways we only dig the pit we're in ever deeper, adding to our suffering and the distance between us and God, and making it that much harder to repent, reform, and restore our relationship with Him and with others whom we may have wronged. We forget (because we want to) that "nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be made known and come abroad.” (Luke 8:17)
How much better it is to admit that we have gone astray, to repent with a sincere and contrite heart, and to beg God in all humility for forgiveness! "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). Repentance must be accompanied by a firm resolution not to repeat the sin--praying to God for the strength to follow through on the promise--and by confession and restitution to anyone whom our sins have injured. Only then will we be truly free of guilt and shame, our iniquity having been paid for and washed away by the blood of our Savior.
Sin is like a wound of the soul--and like a wound of the flesh, it can't heal as long as we keep it hidden and festering; it must first be exposed to light and air, and cleansed. If you would be cleansed and healed, come out of hiding. Hold nothing back. Shed the filthy rags of sin and leave them at the Cross--this day, this hour!
We may hide or fail to confess our sins in order to escape the shame and potential punishment naturally attending them, although God intended those very consequences to discourage bad behavior. Worse, we may hide or avoid confessing our sins so that no one interferes in our wrongdoing and we can continue to have whatever satisfaction it brings ("Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." Proverbs 9:17). Nevertheless, by concealing or ignoring our sinful ways we only dig the pit we're in ever deeper, adding to our suffering and the distance between us and God, and making it that much harder to repent, reform, and restore our relationship with Him and with others whom we may have wronged. We forget (because we want to) that "nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be made known and come abroad.” (Luke 8:17)
How much better it is to admit that we have gone astray, to repent with a sincere and contrite heart, and to beg God in all humility for forgiveness! "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). Repentance must be accompanied by a firm resolution not to repeat the sin--praying to God for the strength to follow through on the promise--and by confession and restitution to anyone whom our sins have injured. Only then will we be truly free of guilt and shame, our iniquity having been paid for and washed away by the blood of our Savior.Sin is like a wound of the soul--and like a wound of the flesh, it can't heal as long as we keep it hidden and festering; it must first be exposed to light and air, and cleansed. If you would be cleansed and healed, come out of hiding. Hold nothing back. Shed the filthy rags of sin and leave them at the Cross--this day, this hour!
Tom Fleming
0 comments :
Post a Comment