"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him." Psalm 32:1-6
Have you ever considered what a blessing it is to have forgiveness of God? What a blessing to have the LORD not hold our sins and iniquities against us? To have the LORD's forgiveness removes all fear of wrath and condemnation and gives us peace with God (cf. Romans 5:1-2). To have forgiveness for all our sins gives us the assurance of life everlasting (cf. John 5:24). Indeed, the one who admits his sin to the LORD instead of attempting to hide and cover up his sins is blessed because in the LORD, for the sake of Jesus' holy life and innocent sufferings and death, he has forgiveness of God (cf. 1 John 1:5 -- 2:2).
What about you? Do you have God's forgiveness, or are you attempting to hide and cover up your sins? Are you justified of God, or trying to justify yourself? Are you self-deceived and attempting to fool others in regard to your sinfulness, or do you admit your utter sinfulness and look to God for mercy and forgiveness?
What happens when we keep silent about our sins? When we are unwilling to admit our sinfulness and look to the LORD for forgiveness? When we are unwilling to give up our sins? God's hand is heavy upon us. We grow old and weary through our groaning and sighing all day long as we feel the guilt and weight of our sins. Our moisture, our vitality, our joy, is turned into the drought of summer; it is evaporated away.
To confess our sins is to say and agree with what God says of us and our sin (cf. 1 John 1:9). Confession makes no excuses for sin, but acknowledges sin as sin and deserving of God's eternal wrath and punishment! When we acknowledge our sin unto the LORD and quit attempting to hide it and cover it up, when we confess our transgression of God's commandments unto the LORD, He graciously forgives our sins for Jesus' sake. "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).
For God's forgiveness everyone that is godly will pray now, before it's too late! "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Don't put off repentance! Don't wait another day. Acknowledge and confess your sins now and receive God's mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. Tomorrow may be too late for you. You may never have opportunity to receive God's forgiveness again. Turn to the LORD now and God will have mercy upon you and save you from the judgment to come!
The Bible says, "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee" (Psalm 86:5).
I have sinned, O God, and failed to keep Your holy commandments. I deserve Your wrath and punishment. Pardon my sins for the sake of the shed blood of Christ Jesus, Your Son and my Savior. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]
Editorial on 03/08/2017