Sin

Ps. 38:18

I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

 

Sin is a devastating commodity! Its allure promises happiness, thrills, and satisfaction, but in reality, it destroys a person from the inside out. David's spoke clearly to this situation.

• David knew that God could not tolerate or condone sin so he cried out to God to withhold His anger and wrath in any disciplinary action. His heart had felt keen conviction which he described as arrows sinking into him and God's hand coming down on him. The same holds true for me. God's arrows are poised and ready to root out any sin in my life.
• The effects of his sin resulted in a lack of soundness in his flesh and unhealthy bones. His iniquities had gone over his head; like a heavy burden, they were too heavy for him. Sin is such a heavy thing that it squelches life and reduces man to disease from the inside out. It is precisely this condition that Jesus came to eradicate. He is the burden-lifter as well as the healer. As if this was not enough, David described his sin as wounds stinking and festering, being utterly bowed down, constant mourning, sides filled with burning, no soundness in the flesh, being feeble and crushed, groaning from his heart. Is sin really worth it? How foolish is man to fall prey to such a thing! He went on to say his heart throbbed, his strength failed, the light of his eyes had dimmed, his friends and companions deserted him, his family separated themselves from him, his enemies were on the the move to overtake him, and he was like a deaf and mute man. How devastating for David! Not only had His sin destroyed the quality of his life and ruined his  relationship with God, but it had allowed his enemies to gain a foothold against him. Anyone contemplating sinning should read this description. It exposes sin for what it really is not how Satan portrays it. How sad for David!
• But what is David's alternative? Is there hope from such a bleak situation? David cried out to God saying, But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. His heart was penitent. He was ready to endure the fall and the pain, ready to confess, and ready to be sorry for his sin. Even though he was accused by his enemies, he asked God not to forsake him. He wanted God to be close again, to make haste and help him. O Lord, my salvation. His prayer to God was not only the only thing he could do but it also was the best thing he could do. Sin is a spiritual condition and can only be dealt with in the spiritual realm. I know that God answered David and delivered him, but what a hard lesson to learn. For all men the flesh is so powerful and so debilitating. Strangely enough, we still listen to the flesh even when it has taken a huge toll on us. How foolish is man!

Father,

My heart is grieved as I read this, I see my heart going down similar paths. I confess to You my sinful self-will and my lack of the spiritual graces that You desire to see in me. Deliver me and give me the strength to grow in You and to resist temptation.

In His name,

Amen