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40 DAYS OF LENT: DAY #14
WORD OF TODAY: Psalm 32:5-6 (Coverdale Psalter of the 2019 BCP)
5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee; and mine unrighteousness have I not hid. 6 I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord; and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.
THOUGHTS ON THE WORD:
We spend our Lenten season considering our vast sinfulness, areas of our lives that we have yet to surrender and the ways that we continue to walk wayward from God. We are tasked with intentionality, but that is only the start.
In this portion of Psalm 32, we learn from the Psalmist that forgiveness begins with conviction, and conviction leads confession, which leads to repentance. We must stand before God and acknowledge our sin, we must not hide any unrighteousness. No matter how hard we might try to hide our sin, God sees all. Consider the parent that sees the child disobey. For the child, the fear of punishment can keep them from admitting wrong. For the parent, though the disobedience is offensive and disappointing, the love for their child simply desires the child’s confession and repentance, which brings reconciliation.
If we do not confess, we cannot be reconciled. If we hide our unrighteousness, we can never be forgiven. But if we confess our sins and do not hide our unrighteousness, Almighty God is mighty to save through the Son who bore our sin upon Himself.
What sin do you attempt to conceal from God, or withhold confessing? Today, consider the love of God, who loved you so much He would endure the punishment of your sin upon Himself so that you might be forgiven. Do not fear, and do not conceal (it does no good, God sees all anyway), commit today to confess and amend your life so that you may be reconciled to God.