There are times when we keep from sin by keeping silent. But there are also times when to keep silent is to sin. David speaks of one of those instances when he declares in Psalm 32:3 , "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long." Then in verse 5 he speaks of breaking his silence. He writes, "I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin" We must confess our sins and not keep silent about them before God. To keep silent about them is to add to our sins.
What is more, while we defend our sins we cannot be sure that we have forgiveness. For we do not manifest a spirit that is without guile. If we are God's elect children, our sins have been blotted out by the blood of His Son; but we can have no legal basis for believing that they are not imputed to us. And we will have to say with David:
While I kept guilty silence,
My strength was spent with grief,
Thy hand was heavy on me,
My soul found no relief;
But when I owned my trespass,
My sin hid not from Thee,
When I confessed transgression,
Then Thou forgavest me.
The idea is that David became sure that God forgave him his sins. He had a God-given sign, the undeniable evidence of God's love for him. For it is God's eternal love for His people that brings them to confession.
Never need we be afraid of confessing our sins unto God. We had better be afraid of keeping silent and refusing to confess them. Confessing them means that we hate them and love God. And our love for God reveals that He eternally loved us and gave us that love for Himself.
Before you go to bed tonight confess all the sins of the day. But confess them also during the day as soon as they have been committed and you realize that you sinned against God. Confession will bring you peace of mind and assurance of Gods love.
Read: Luke 18:9-14
Psalter versification: 83:2
Daily Meditations
on the Heidelberg Catechism
(Song for Meditation: Psalter number 252)
Why not sing along??
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Genesis 18:16-33 ; Genesis 19
Matthew 6:25-34 ; Matthew 7:1-14
Psalm 8:1-9
Proverbs 2:6-15
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Quote for Reflection:
“Thy will be done. Grant, O Father in heaven, that I may always and everywhere live as before Thy face, in Thy presence, and in the consciousness of my calling to be Thy servant …. Give unto me, give unto all Thy people, Thy Spirit and grace to know and to do Thy will. And hasten the day when the workers of iniquity shall be no more, and all shall be in perfect harmony with Thy will, which is only good. Thy will be done. Amen.” Herman Hoeksema
Additional Info
- Date: 8-January
