Hope through Confession {Psalm 51}
3:00 PM
Many
of you know this Psalm well. We are familiar
with the life of King David and this Psalm is a plea to God for mercy,
forgiveness and cleansing. It’s a
reminder that God wants our hearts to be right with Him. If you are not familiar with Psalm 51, this
is a starting point if you are dealing with a sense of distance or guilt that
is affecting your relationship with God.
It will help you identify and rectify sin in your life through
confession and repentance.
Have
you ever committed a sin that made you feel as if your bones were breaking or
broken? Or have you ever felt like the
weight of a circumstance has gotten so incredibly heavy that you feel like you
cannot go on? We all need to identify
sin in our lives, and we need to confess it AND receive God’s forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 reminds us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession
involves honesty – we must be honest with ourselves and God. We can’t call it less than what it is. And we can’t be broad with our confession and
say, “Forgive me of all my sins.” God
knows what you’ve done. He was there
when it happened. All He desires is your
humble acknowledgement. God wants you to
agree with Him and call sin what it is – sin.
God
is God and we are not. We have to rest
and rely on His mercy and grace for us in Christ. I have to admit, I have often struggled to
believe that God poured out His wrath on Jesus for the sins I’ve committed. A wrath I deserve – not my brother. In Christ, we are forgiven, justified, and
made righteous. In Christ, we know David’s
cry has ultimately been fulfilled.
Stop
carrying the weight of your sin around and be honest with God. Your bones and your heart may feel broken
from the enormity of your sin, but oh, the amazing love you will receive when
the Lord restores the joy of your salvation (v. 12)
My Life Application Study Bible says, "Psalm
51 is a wonderful Psalm to turn to when you’ve been holding out to confess your
sins. David’s confession has helped
people examine excuses, half-hearted repentance, and lack of sorrow over sin
that can keep them from experiencing forgiveness.
David’s words provide us with hope through confession."
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