LORD, I am trusting You.

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 32:10, NKJV- “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.”

We can trust the LORD with everything. Everything includes our deepest darkest secrets. Many of us have hurts, habits, or hangups that haunt us. David shares in Psalm 32:5 the secret to ridding ourselves of the pain of regret. “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah” (NKJV). With confession we find forgiveness. Most times we attempt to forget, hide, or sweep under the rug our painful memories.

Although we may forget for a while these pains are hidden within us. David warns us in Psalm 32:3 to not be silent. In our silence or holding in our regrets, our bones, body, and spirit whither. Just because they are hidden for the moment does not mean they are not lurking deep within us. Freedom comes from confession.

In fact, in the Celebrate Recovery lesson 12 entitled Confess, John Baker shares “When we share our deepest secrets, we begin to divide the pain and the shame.” The thought of sharing these secrets can cause panic. Our concern for being found out terrorizes us. However, this fear really is false evidence appearing real.

What we find is God’s forgiveness. More than that, we find gladness and rejoicing as David shares that he found in Psalm 32:11. From the sapped strength of secrecy we find rejoicing power of God’s forgiveness. We can trust, pause, and rest in the fact, as David did, that God has already forgiven us.

Another light bulb went off for me after many years in recovery. It was told to me that we confess to God for forgiveness, and we confess to each other for healing. Step 5 in Celebrate Recovery states: “We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” James 5:16 is the biblical truth.

The New Living Translation puts James 5:16 this way, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” As scary as it seems if you can find one other person you can trust, you can share your secrets and that is where we find healing.

God has already forgiven us so now we need to heal. With this healing we find the power, gladness, and joy of God. When we overcome our fears and confess to God and others, we become free to be. Our freedom equips us to free others who are still enslaved.

Will you trust God with your confession?

Today’s Prayer: Almighty God, I confess to You that I am a sinner, and I am giving You all of my past hurts, habits, and experiences. I am trusting in Your promise to forgive me. Thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ who died for my sins. Thank You, LORD for bringing others into my life that I can confess to so they can confess to me and be healed. I am filled with gladness and joy. In You LORD, I do trust. Selah and Amen.