Thursday, June 6, 2024
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord."* And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.
For me, one of the saddest verses in Scripture talks about Adam and Eve's fear of God after they have sinned:
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. [1]
They hid because they had sinned and were afraid of what God would do to them in their sin! [2]
Our verses today focus on our relationship with God. David, the writer of this psalm, wants us to notice what happens when we sin but refuse to try to hide our guilt from God. Instead of living in fear of God's presence and drowning in the "floodwaters of judgment," we can choose to pray, confessing our rebellion to God. Then, God forgives us and restores His relationship with us!
This kind of relationship with God changes everything for us. Instead of trying to hide from God in fear, God becomes our "hiding place" — our place of security and protection. We can hide securely in Him rather than from Him, and God surrounds us "with songs of victory."
So, what's the point? Prayer and confessing our sins to the Father bring us much more than forgiveness and cleansing [3] — although these gifts of grace are awesome. Instead of running from God when we sin, we can run to God confessing our sins. God's loving acceptance can replace our fear of judgment. [4] God's grace assures us of security and victory in Him. The Lord's grace reawakens our sense of acceptance and joy. God draws us near and makes us whole. [5]
Almighty God, my Savior, and my Lord, I thank You because, through the Holy Spirit, I can come to You as my Abba [A] Father. I know You welcome me as Your beloved child and long to restore me through Your grace, acceptance, and mercy. Forgive me for my sins. I freely confess them by name to You, O God. (Do so here:) I have _________, and I am deeply sorry for my rebellion from Your will and Your ways for me. I know, dear Father, that You have forgiven and cleansed me, and I run to You as my hope, the source of life, and my assurance of victory over sin, death, and hell. I thank You in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Together in Christ is a daily devotional that focuses on what Scripture teaches about godly living in relationships.
'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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