The Prophetic Word - Day 186: Confession is necessary for soul-relief.

“Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In the 70s and 80s there was a sitcom in which one of the characters—a really “cool dude”—could not bring himself to apologize. This aspect concerning him was presented very humorously; he would try to form the words with his mouth, but just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Now, that was a really funny story in that sitcom. Sadly, and not funny at all, is the fact that there are actually people who will not truly confess their sin, even before the Lord.

Allow me to clarify: The words saying that you are sorry, are not enough.

You see, whereas words are extremely important, God also sees our heart. Therefore, our words of confession, must be a reflection of the cry of our heart.

As well, coming before the Lord and confessing, while also offering an excuse for why you did what you did, still falls short of what true confession, true repentance, really is.

You see, we must view and present our sin to God with no attending frame of reference that basically implies we weren’t REALLY wrong, only technically wrong.

Please understand, our sin is seen only within the context of whether we did or did not deviate from obedience to God.

What other people may have contributed to our actions, or their part in our sin, will be part of THEIR judgment. Our part, concerning our sin, is to confess in an attitude of repentance, offering no defense for ourselves, only pleading for the mercy extended through Jesus Christ.

The proverbial writer observed that trying to hide one’s sin in any way, is disastrous. But, confession with repentance, brings relief through mercy.

“He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

David knew by experience that trying to ignore his sin, or conceal his sin, led to his being in a terrible state.

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

Psalms 32:1-4 NKJV

As well, the psalmist also recognized that when he truly acknowledged his sins, he received forgiveness. Yes, mercy “covers” sin in the right way!

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 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭5-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Notice, David also knew that the time comes when a person may not be able to find that place of repentance. Therefore, the time for confession and repentance is always now, lest we end up like Esau, who lost everything and could find no way back.

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In our opening scripture we see that the Lord instructs His errant people to return to the Him by confessing, repenting, and asking for mercy.

Indeed, earlier in the book of Hosea we see that the Lord will not move to help the people, until they confess and turn to Him.

“I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.””

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Child of God, let no iniquity remain uncovered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Let us make confession and repentance a way of life—not that we doubt that the Lord has forgiven us—but that when we do find ourselves deviating from His way of being and doing (again), we quickly confess, allowing His Spirit to re-orient us back in the way we should go.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

‭‭I John‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Tomorrow we will discuss the second part of our opening scripture.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

#ThePropheticWord