Readings for today: Exodus 30:11-31:18, Matthew 26:47-68, Psalms 32, Proverbs 8:27-32
We live in a world of affirmation. A world where every feeling. Every emotion. Every desire is something to be celebrated and embraced as long as it doesn’t hurt ourselves or others. We are deeply passionate creatures. Driven by primal forces too deep for us to understand. We do not question. We do not think. We do not evaluate whether these desires are good or bad. We simply engage them. We satisfy them. We believe this is the only path to true happiness.
The Bible cuts against the grain of our current cultural experience. It calls us to submit every desire and take every thought captive to Christ. It teaches us how to live for God and not for Self. It speaks directly against the prevailing wisdom of our world. It forces us to come to grips with the depravity and corruption of our hearts.
It calls us to confession. To acknowledgement before God of our sin. To agreement with God regarding our unrighteousness. But we resist His will and His way. We choose our own path which leads to self-destruction. “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.” (Psalms 32:3-4) Whether we keep silent before the Lord or we spit in His face, the outcome is the same. Pain. Suffering. Heartache. Heartbreak. Our bones waste away. Our strength dries up. Our lives do not reflect the glory God intended.
Confession is hard because it requires submission. Surrender to a will that is greater than our own. It requires us to bow the knee before God and accept His Lordship over our lives. This is why the Psalmist uses the image of a stubborn mule to make his point. “Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.” (Psalms 32:9) Yes, we are all stubborn asses before the Lord. We all struggle to accept His leading and guiding. We all want to go our own way.
But what happens when do finally surrender to Him? What happens when we do finally humble ourselves and confess our sin? God forgives. God showers us with grace. We no longer have to hide or pretend or put on a good face. We no longer are slaves to fear. We no longer are slaves to our own desires. We can live beyond ourselves. We become a blessing to others. God’s steadfast love surrounds us. He becomes our hiding place. A refuge in times of trouble.
Does regular confession mean we will never go through hard times? No. It simply means we will experience the abiding presence of Christ all along. Because we’ve agreed with Him and acknowledged Him and humbly submitted to Him, He will become our strength and our shield. The world is wrong, friends. Desperately wrong. And we all know it. We can all feel it in our bones. We know deep down that everyone living for themselves. Everyone chasing that which makes them happy. Everyone seeking to fulfill their own desires leads only to pain and suffering. So repent. Confess your sin. Exchange the affirmation you crave for the acceptance God offers in Jesus Christ.
Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 32-33, Matthew 26:69-27:14, Psalms 33:1-11, Proverbs 8:33-36