Psalm 32:3
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Devotion
The second lesson we learn from Psalm 32 is that “When we conceal our sin, it becomes a wasting disease in our souls.” Keeping silent about our sin is one way we try to minimize our pain. The truth of the matter is that by not confessing our sin we actually maximize our pain. Suppressing guilt is a terrible strategy. Guilt is a universal problem. There is a universal solution: Jesus! Anyone who trusts Jesus for justification will experience God’s forgiveness and be set free from guilt. God has not left us to deal with our guilt alone but has taken the initiative to seek our acquittal. The glory of the Gospel is that the One before whom we stand guilty and condemned has Himself undertaken to replace our guilt with righteousness and reconciliation.
This act of God, which puts us in a right relationship to Him where there is no more guilt and condemnation, is called justification. Jesus paid it all so that we would not have to wallow in guilt. God is ready to lift this burden of guilt if we confess our sin to Him. So, what are you waiting for? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.
Questions to Ponder:
What is your main method of dealing with guilt? What are some strategies you use to minimize pain in your life? Have you experienced the joy that comes from being forgiven by God? Have you availed yourself of the justification that comes from putting your trust in Jesus?
Prayer Points
- Ask God to remind you of a time when you confessed your sin to another person, and they met you with great compassion, forgiveness, kindness, and love. Ponder how that felt to be fully forgiven, met with such tenderness, kindness, and forgiveness. Praise God for that person/people.
- Pray for yourself, your family/friends, and our church family that any shame would be removed and we all will know that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
- Pray we will be a people that run right into God’s arms that are wide open to us. Not arms of shame, embarrassment or disapproval. BUT rather arms that say something like, “I saw that, come to Me, give Me back My stuff. I took that on the cross for You. Your job is to acknowledge it, agree with Me about it, give it to Me, and turn from it”
Suggested Prayer
Forgiving Father, I praise You that I don’t have to hide, bury, deny, self-medicate, or minimize my sin. You have made things so easy through the blood of Jesus Christ. Easy for me but oh SO costly for You God. Thank You Lord that You want me to come directly to You and talk straight to You about my sin. Thank You LORD that I don’t have to earn my way back to You or be good enough, all you want me to do is say I’m sorry and turn away from that sin. Thank You LORD that You have even given me Your Holy Spirit to help me and lead me into Your Truth, Your way, into Your light and even to help me confess my sin. Your Holy Spirit within me reveals the way out for me when I’m feeling tempted. I declare You are amazing, and You are loving. There is no one like You Lord and I love You so very much! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.