This week in our community group we talked about biblical confession.  We started out by asking people the associations they had with confession and found many of us have very negative feelings wrapped up in the word.  We think of confession either as failure, a ritual we do when we do something really bad, or in some cases too lightly – as if it is a “get out of jail free” card.

Thankfully, confession to God isn’t anything like confession as we know it in life.

As my pastor said, confession is a conduit of God’s grace.  In order for us to receive God’s grace, we must confess our need for it.  This action shouldn’t burden us, but free us from the weight of sin and an action that helps us  give over more control to God.  The following is a verse from Psalms that really gives us a picture of the grace that comes, the reason for us to confess.

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.

Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.  – Psalm 32:3-7

What a beautiful picture of God.  He forgives.  He delivers. He is our hiding place.

My prayer is that I would embrace confession by banking on who God is.  The sin I carry every day?  Given to him.  The frustration I have for falling short?  Replaced by the overwhelming love from a Savior who can take a sinner like me and never grow tired of  picking me back up.

Praise God for his constant pursuit of me.  Praise him for always looking at who I am going to be, and reminding me that I’m his child.  I’m overwhelmed at the love of God that calls me to confess – not because it’s required – but because it allows the opportunity for me to move forward in God’s grace.