Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. (Proverbs 28:13, ESV)
It bothers me more that I am not a good golfer anymore than to tell you so.
When I was young and collegiate and my tiny college had much more space than student body, I could flight irons for hours on a corner of the campus that was pretty much all mine. Maybe a teammate or two also hit and shagged balls there, but I do not remember that. It was basically this lone skinny kid, his back to the library, wearing down the face of his 8- and 9-irons a hundred balls at a time.
Back then, I might have dared to say I was good. Not professional tours good. Not even Division I good. But good enough to be happy with the way those balls flew off the clubface into the open sky.
They say age has its way of mellowing us, humbling us too. But it’s something far greater than age that’s doing this work when it comes to true humility. It is the Spirit of God.
Their joy led them both to shout and to fall down in worship. And why not? Their guilt had been removed!As proud youths—and for some, this youth lasts far longer than it does for others—we’re typically convinced of our strengths. We know we also have faults, but to speak of these is a sign of weakness and admission of guilt.
But if the Spirit gets hold of us and moves us to confession, we learn one of life’s greatest lessons. As weighty as it is to know that we are sinners, speaking of our sin with sorrow and contrition is to throw off its weight. This makes sense, for in the repentance that follows confession we are to turn away from our sin and turn to God. If confession has allowed for the weight of our sin to be lifted by God, we may not only turn to him but run to him. There is nothing to hold us back.
Age may mellow you, but it cannot take away your sin. And it is this removal by the forgiving God who hears your confession that you really want.
In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, the people of God would follow his laws by making sacrifice for their sins. When Aaron first did this as the high priest before God, making atonement for himself and the people, we read that “fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown” (Leviticus 9:24, NIV).
That God would accept their sacrifice (confession) caused the people, in one sense of the Hebrew ranan here, to be overcome. Their joy led them both to shout and to fall down in worship. And why not? Their guilt had been removed!
Don’t let your guilt rest heavy on you today, brother or sister. Confess your sins. You know that “he is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). He wants you to know his joy, and his Spirit has made clear to you how you can do so.
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Jeff Hopper
January 9, 2019
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.