A Plea for Rescue
For the choir director: according to The Lilies. Davidic.

“1 Save me, God,
for the water has risen to my neck.
2 I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing;
I have come into deep waters,
and a flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary from my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.
4 Those who hate me without cause
are more numerous than the hairs of my head;
my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me,
are powerful.
Though I did not steal, I must repay.
5 God, You know my foolishness,
and my guilty acts are not hidden from You.”
Psalm 69:1-5
—

Confession is not easy.
Confession is painful.
Repentance requires it.
Living righteously makes us look at our pride, stumblings and mistakes.
Following Jesus means an acknowledgment of our faults that allows us to confirm our part with Him.

In other words, in order for us to live in Christ, properly following Him, we have to look at who we are and what we have done, confess our sins and give those failings over to Him so that He can do His work of redemption in us.

Right living partially comes from an acknowledgement of how we shouldn’t live, and where our faults lie. Confessing our sins helps us to identify where we are weak, to acknowledge and avoid those parts that cause us to stumble. It gives us strength to ask God for help and support to do what is right. Confession purges the heart, it aids in forgiveness of self and the cleansing of guilt. God uses confession for our own benefit and He employs it in His love.

Confession is also one of those things that we dread beforehand but are thankful for afterwards. It heals, confirms the right path and gives us confidence when we make decisions for the future. It allows us the opportunity to look back over our lives, to review where the pitfalls lie and it helps us see where to step in the future.

Those who refuse confession are blind to their own faults. They are awash in pride and lack humility. Those who refuse confession will never find God, never seek salvation from Him, because they have made themselves accountable to no one and have in turn made themselves God in their own hearts. A lack of confession leads to self-idolatry and the unrepentant heart that Solomon simply calls a fool.

As we GoLove others, our own frank assessment of our sins, confession and transparency will helps others be honest with themselves. If they experience humility from us, they will see the fruits of a life that isn’t dripping with pride and self-aggrandizement. In that humility, they can see our turning to Christ, our reliance on God’s grace and our desire for the Holy Spirit to work change in our hearts, minds and lives. Honesty and a confessional attitude are desirable traits for friendship and aid in our discipling of others.