November 23rd, 2023
Thursday, November 23rd
Confess and Be Free
By: Chrissy Cooney
When my oldest daughter was a toddler, she had one of those play kitchens with the doors that open and the knobs that turn. She loved to play with that kitchen, but we soon noticed something else was happening also. Whenever she wanted to engage in mischievous activities – perhaps something that she knew without a doubt was a “no, no”, Cati would hide behind the kitchen.
Our first instinct, when we’ve done something wrong, is to hide our sin. Adam and Eve hid in the garden after they had broken God’s command, and you and I tend to want to cover up our sins too. In Psalm 32 David wrote, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” (vv. 3-4) When we hide our sin it affects our whole self. We carry the guilt of our wrong and feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. In hiding our sin, we allow our enemy, the accuser, to add shame and condemnation to the weight of what we are carrying.
David continued, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin” (v.5). When we own-up to our sin we are set free from the shame and bondage of that sin. The weight is lifted. Unburdened from that heaviness, we can grow, and share with others. That which defined us can now refine us.
What a blessing it is to have confession and forgiveness available to us! The easy part is ours – confessing, uncovering, bringing our sin into the light. Easy? If you’ve ever confessed sin, you know it doesn’t feel easy, and there are often difficult consequences. The hardest part, however, was all taken care of by our Savior on the cross. Thank you, Jesus! Because of the cross and the love of Jesus Christ, we can have freedom. If you’ve been carrying the weight of a particular sin from your past, confess and be free today! David opened Psalm 32 by writing, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit” (vv. 1-2).
Confess and Be Free
By: Chrissy Cooney
When my oldest daughter was a toddler, she had one of those play kitchens with the doors that open and the knobs that turn. She loved to play with that kitchen, but we soon noticed something else was happening also. Whenever she wanted to engage in mischievous activities – perhaps something that she knew without a doubt was a “no, no”, Cati would hide behind the kitchen.
Our first instinct, when we’ve done something wrong, is to hide our sin. Adam and Eve hid in the garden after they had broken God’s command, and you and I tend to want to cover up our sins too. In Psalm 32 David wrote, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” (vv. 3-4) When we hide our sin it affects our whole self. We carry the guilt of our wrong and feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. In hiding our sin, we allow our enemy, the accuser, to add shame and condemnation to the weight of what we are carrying.
David continued, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin” (v.5). When we own-up to our sin we are set free from the shame and bondage of that sin. The weight is lifted. Unburdened from that heaviness, we can grow, and share with others. That which defined us can now refine us.
What a blessing it is to have confession and forgiveness available to us! The easy part is ours – confessing, uncovering, bringing our sin into the light. Easy? If you’ve ever confessed sin, you know it doesn’t feel easy, and there are often difficult consequences. The hardest part, however, was all taken care of by our Savior on the cross. Thank you, Jesus! Because of the cross and the love of Jesus Christ, we can have freedom. If you’ve been carrying the weight of a particular sin from your past, confess and be free today! David opened Psalm 32 by writing, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit” (vv. 1-2).
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