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Monday, September 23, 2019

Hope through Confession {Psalm 51}


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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.
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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.

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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."