Uncovering Sin

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
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. Selah.
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. Selah.
(Psalm 32:1-5)

The weight of sin can hit like a sledgehammer or it can add up slowly, one brick at a time, until it crushes.  The pressure comes from both the consequences of our sins and the inherent knowledge that we will be judged by God for our sins. Internally there is a cry in each person’s heart that there must be a way that our transgressions can be forgiven and covered by God. Ignoring the sin doesn’t relieve the pressure. Denying the sin doesn’t make it any less real. Covering it up doesn’t make sin go away.

King David wrote of his experiences with trying to get rid of sin by his own efforts in the Psalm 32.  His conclusion was that his efforts ultimately failed and seemed to make the problem worse.  The solution was seemingly counterintuitive.  Rather than following his instinct of hiding his iniquity from the holy and righteous God, he confessed them to Him. David realized that the only possible way to be reconciled with God was for God to forgive him. David had to stop making excuses and blaming others. He had to take responsibility for his transgressions and confess them to God – the One that all of our sins are ultimately against.  The Lord, in His righteousness and mercy was then able to forgive.

What sins are you hiding from God? What sins are weighing you down and slowly crushing the life out of you?  When will you stop trying to hide them from an all-knowing God and confess them to Him. Acknowledging your guilt with a repentant heart and accepting the salvation and reconciliation of God paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross. It is time to allow God to remove the weight of sin and enter the blessings of being forgiven and clean before Him.