Confession is a Joyful Act

Today’s reading: Psalm 32:1-7

One of the great joys in life, for me anyway, is confessing my sins and experiencing God’s forgiveness.

That’s an ironic thought that I’m sometimes afraid to admit.

The expectation of our modern world is that admitting a sin should bring about a sense of sadness, regret, or even remorse.  Certainly not joy?What am I, crazy? Maybe even  irresponsible?

Well, I don’t believe that I am crazy or irresponsible, but, confession does bring me joy. Just as it does today’s Psalmist. 

Admitting a sin brings me to God. But every time I suppress a confession, however, I find myself in a sorry state. The Psalm describes this well:

“While I kept silence, my body 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.”

Who wants to live with that guilt? I don’t! Who is eternally joyful that he doesn’t have to? I am!

There is a reason the world often imposes harsh penalties upon people once they have confessed a sin: the devil understands that confession leads to a joyful liberation, and he wants to make it as difficult as possible for a troubled spirit. So long as a man is unable to release his sins and accept God’s forgiveness, the devil is in control. And we all know that the devil works very hard to maintain control of the world. So that’s why confession, joyful as it is, is hardly ever easy.

Thanks be go God for the joy the comes from His forgiveness. May I always have the strength to experience this joy through the blessed act of confession.