How to Get Close to God: Confess
Scripture Reading — Psalm 32:1-5
I acknowledged my sin to you ... and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5
Someone came to talk. He was upset and angry. I had preached on Psalm 139, saying God is always there for us. This person said, "On Sunday you keep on telling us God is where we are. Well, he's not there for me." Then he shouted, "Where is this God you talk about? We talked for quite some time. During our conversation it became clear that one of the reasons he did not feel God's closeness was that he was intent on living in sin. He refused to admit and acknowledge that he was caught up in a sin because he did not want to give it up. He refused to confess. In Psalm 32 David makes clear that unconfessed sin builds a wall between ourselves and God. David was speaking from experience. After his affair with Bathsheba he'd tried to cover his tracks by having her husband killed. The story, recorded in 2 Samuel 11, reads like a soap opera. David had to learn the hard way that we distance ourselves from God when we try to hide our sins or refuse to confess them. If for some reason you feel far from God, take inventory by asking yourself, "Is there unconfessed sin in my life?" Perhaps it happened years ago, or perhaps it's something you did today. The Lord invites you to come clean and confess, and when you do you will experience the loving arms of the waiting Father.
Lord, please keep us from sin and keep sin from us. Help us to be willing to confess our sins, and help us see where we've gone wrong. Forgive us for Jesus' sake. Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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