Psalm 32-3-5
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. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Our past failures and mistakes, when not dealt with, haunt us greatly. We get totally consumed by a sense of guilt and regret. As a result, we become completely immobilised from making meaningful progress in life. We become distracted. This was the case of David in this particular Psalm. He describes his state using very colourful language – my bones wasted away; my strength dried up as by the heat of summer. A sense of guilt and regret does this to us. It dries us up.
The cause of guilt and regret is not merely our past failure and mistakes, but rather when these go unconfessed. Unconfessed sin and past mistakes not properly addressed are a great distraction to our onward walk of faith. The Christian must ensure that they are not weighed down by the guilt of their past failures or the regret of wrong choices made. This is what David declares. That when he confessed and exposed his sins to God, he received forgiveness. We, too, can be freed from our own imprisonment of guilt and regret. We only need to confess and expose our sin. Not only should we confess the same to God, but we must also confess to a trusted Christian brother or sister (same-gender confession greatly advised). When we do that, and they pray for us, we will receive our healing.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (James 5:16).
Reflections
1. Are you weighed down by a sense of guilt and regret? Confess your sins today.
