The Power of Confession

Reflection:  Today the psalmist, David, reflects on the power of confession.  He calls the person blessed whose sins are forgiven and whose sins are not count against them.  He talks about the “conviction of the Holy Spirit” when he had sin but failed to come to God in confession.  He describes the effects of staying up all night and how all the emotional energy he spent hiding out from God sapped all his strength.  Then, he describes the cleansing that took place as he acknowledged his sin before the Lord.  The word “confess” simply means to say the same thing as God. When we confess our sins we are merely speaking the truth to the One who is the Truth.  When we “hide out” from God we are only avoiding the inevitable. 

Just like any conflict in life, when we fail to acknowledge our faults the relationship will be broken.  We will feel distance from this person and the only thing that can bring reconciliation is to acknowledge our role in the conflict.  Usually in any conflict both persons are at fault in some way, so when both people confess what they have done to make the relationship sour, there can be reconciliation and a new sense of relationship between the two persons.  Of course with God, He is never at fault, as if He had faults He would not be God.  So confession to God is always is always one-sided, as we are always the offender. 

But nonetheless we can rely on the great mercy and love of God as He sent His Son to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Yet in 1 John, the apostle says, “If we confess our sins to God, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

What do you need to confess to Your Lord and Savior this morning?  Oh the peace we often forfeit because we fail to acknowledge our sin before God.  It might be helpful to keep a prayer journal and use the ACTS method of writing out your prayers.  A is for Adoration, C is for Confession, T is for Thanksgiving (including Thanks to God for forgiveness) and S is for Supplication.  Many people have found this to be a very help way to enter into God’s presence and model for communicating to Him.  Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer which has a similar structure.  Start your day off right by coming clean with God and you will find renewed strength to do all He has called you to do!

Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.

1 Blessed is the one

    whose transgressions are forgiven,

    whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one

    whose sin the Lord does not count against them

    and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,

    my bones wasted away

    through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night

    your hand was heavy on me;

my strength was sapped

    as in the heat of summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you

    and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, “I will confess

    my transgressions to the Lord.”

And you forgave

    the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you

    while you may be found;

surely the rising of the mighty waters

    will not reach them.

7 You are my hiding place;

    you will protect me from trouble

    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,

    which have no understanding

but must be controlled by bit and bridle

    or they will not come to you.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked,

    but the Lord’s unfailing love

    surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;

    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Ezra 3

Rebuilding the Altar

3 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. 2 Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. 4 Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. 5 After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.

Rebuilding the Temple

7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia. 8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. 9 Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together in supervising those working on the house of God. 10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

“He is good;

    his love toward Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Acts 27:39-28:6

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.

Paul Ashore on Malta

28 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. Psalm 57:1

You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. James 5:11

In the shadow of your wings may we take refuge this day in you, Father eagle and Mother hen. As we lean into your enfolding presence, may we feel your heartbeat, the comfort of your nearness, and your life-giving love. Amen.