Reading: Psalm 19
Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
(Psalm19:12-13)
Meditation:
The majesty of the heavens and the earth, of creation in all its diversity and splendor and glory—David sets them side-by-side with the law of God. Both reveal the character of God and point the way to who he has created us to be.
But sin lurks around every corner of the heart. Our sin goes so deep that we have “hidden faults” that we don’t even know about. More than that, there are “presumptuous sins” which threaten to overtake us, sins we recognize as such, but feel trapped by.
In the battle against, sin, we often muster our own strength for the battle. We declare to ourselves that we won’t do that any more, and we beat ourselves up when we fail. We go through a cycle of sin, shame, and determination.
But, though we might make some progress, only the Lord’s gracious intervention will meet our need. We need his pardon for faults we don’t know we have. We need his guiding hand to keep us back from the sins that would overtake us. Only by his hand can we be made righteous.
That’s why the role of prayer and confession are so critical in the fight with our sinful ways. Our sins are primarily against God, and so we need his pardon and his cleansing. But more than that, we need his power to change our hearts.
Prayer:
O, Lord, look on your servant with mercy, for I have sins I don’t even know about. And then there are the many sins I’ve committed. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. Grant me to live a life of righteousness in your sight and for your glory. Have mercy, my God, and renew a right spirit within me.
For the sake of the name of Jesus,
Amen.
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