Dead End Desperation Week 6: Wednesday

"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." Psalm 32:5

As someone who becomes lost more often than I’d like to admit, I have become quite adept and finding my way back. I take several steps to find my way again when I am lost. First, I have to realize I am lost. Second, I must recognize that the surroundings look unfamiliar and realize I do not know where I am. Only when I realize I am lost can I ask for help from my GPS or another person and take steps to find my way out. It is the same way when we are spiritually lost. Whether we have never placed our faith in Christ or are Christ-followers who have just wandered away, we must acknowledge that we are lost to find our way back to Him. 

Psalm 32. As he wrote, he remembered times when he did not confess his sin to God. “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long” (verse 3). Refusing to acknowledge his sin left David in agony. After writing about the agony of concealing sin, David writes about what happened when he finally confessed his sin. 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” (verse 5). The joy David felt after confessing his sin is almost palpable. He no longer had to hide and had received the gifts of forgiveness and freedom from guilt. 

After recounting his experience confessing his sin, David called followers of Christ to do the same in his prayer to God. “Therefore,” David concluded, “let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment” (verse 6). He understood the joy and freedom from confessing his sin and desired all followers of Christ to experience that same joy and freedom. This includes you. It is time today to turn to God and confess our sins. It is time to say “I’m sorry” for the ways we have lived that are against His will and call for us.

Moving toward action

Have you found yourself lost, wandering from Him? Maybe you are a Christ-follower, but you have become distracted. Maybe something else has been competing for your time, attention, and affection. Turn to God today. Admit to Him where you have wandered and take steps to turn back to Him today. Ask Him for help as you seek to do this. 

Going Deeper

Psalm 32:1-11 (NLT)