Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stains from my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.
Psalm 51:2
Confess
When I was roughly 4-5 years old, I remember being at the toy store at Greensborough Plaza with my aunty and cousin. While my aunty was purchasing some items, I unironically eyed off this bouncy ball at the counter, that was clear in appearance but contained an eyeball floating in blue liquid. I knew instantly that I NEEDED that ball. So, when I thought the adults were distracted, I grabbed the ball and put it in my pocket, my aunty only realizing what I had done once we got home and she woke me from my nap in the car, revealing what I was holding.
Psalm 51:1-2 reads:
“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stains from my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.”
Whilst the severity of my story does not compare to that of David who wrote the Psalm, when my Aunty saw the ball, she had to ask, “Where did you get this?” and now as a grown up, I understand that she knew exactly where that ball came from, but she still asked, to see what I would say. I quietly said it was from the toy shop and to my surprise she was kind and merciful about it. She saw that I knew I had done the wrong thing, and I had learnt my lesson after confessing where I had gotten this ball from.
If I had lied, she would still know where the ball came from, and she would know that I’m trying to hide the fact I stole it. I would be carrying the guilt of not only stealing but also lying. My confession, first leads to forgiveness, and forgiveness leads to freedom from guilt.
When I think about it, the store clerk probably saw me take the ball, she allowed me to make a mistake and learn from it. The same way
Our Father allows us to make our own decisions and learn from them. We must confess our sins and mistakes to Him in order to receive forgiveness which will set us free from guilt.
When we pray, confess our sins to Him, ask for His forgiveness and mercy. Ask for strength to forgive others, and for strength to resist temptations.
Pray: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stains from my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.”
Today's contributor: Aidan Vellu
