“When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all of our sins.”  1 John 1:9

We had out-of-town guests, and I was doing laundry every day.  But the dryer wasn’t working properly.  It took over an hour to dry a load of laundry, and the clothes weren’t even warm when I took them out of the dryer.

I mentioned it to my husband, and we checked the dryer manual and read the page called “trouble shooting”.  We checked everything they suggested that could cause the problem – and all but one thing was in working order.  However, we needed to check the dryer air vent outside the house to see if it was clogged.  Marvin climbed up a ladder and looked inside the vent, and guess what?  An old bird nest was in the vent.  It was blocking the air flow—the hot air wasn’t able to escape.  He removed the bird nest, and the dryer started worked like new.

The lesson I learned from this experience was two-fold:

1.  Read the manual written by the manufacturer. They made the dryer and know how to keep it going and how to fix it when things go wrong.

2.  Even a small bird nest can stop the flow of warm air that dries the clothes.

Similarly, in our lives, we must remember to be constantly in tune with our Maker through prayer, reading, and reflecting on God’s Word. God has made us and knows everything about us.  He will warm our hearts when we spend time alone with Him.  When we worship Him, He will point out the things that clog our communication channel to Him.

For example, when I have a critical attitude, I prevent God’s love from warming my heart.  Criticism and love can’t occupy the same space.  However, when we confess our sins to Him, He forgives and cleanses us from all sin and takes the throne of our hearts once again.

How are you doing today?  Do you have a cold heart?  Take time alone with God and ask Him to show you what is stopping His flow of love into your heart.

Father, our wonderful Maker and Friend, we desire our hearts to be warm with your love.  Show us if there is anything in our life that is stopping the flow of your love.  We want a deeper love relationship with You.  Amen

By Katherine Kehler
used by permission

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“Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all of you who are upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11

Have you ever had a secret? As children we likely all kept secrets from our parents about the things we did that we knew were against the rules. It’s part of growing up.

As adults, many of us have secrets. We may have done things that have severe consequences if someone found out. We conceal our past actions because they could bring embarrassment or humiliation on us. Maybe we fear the way someone we love will see us if they knew.

The problem with keeping secrets is that they bring consequences of their own. Living in fear of discovery affects our happiness and our relationships. It stands in the way of true intimacy with other people.

King David learned that keeping secrets from God was detrimental to his mind and body. In Psalm 32, David describes how keeping quiet before God about his sin haunted him day and night. He writes, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away…. my strength was sapped.” But when he admitted his mistakes to God, his guilt was gone.

Based on what I read in Scripture, I believe that because of God’s nature and His relationship with David, God had forgiven David’s sin long before David asked for forgiveness. But the guilt David felt lingered. The moment David confessed his sin to God, his guilt was gone, his spirit was lifted, and his relationship with God was restored.

God, because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, I am forgiven of my sins. But, Lord, I want to be free from any guilt that I feel. Help me be honest with myself and with You about the truth of my pride and rebellion. Amen.

By Debbie West
used by permission

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“All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”  Proverbs 16:2

You’re at a party and your husband or wife (or good friend) begins to tell a story about an event in which you both had participated. There is a reason for telling the story—perhaps to describe the beauty of a scene or a person whose presence made a lasting impact on your lives. “Last year when we were on our way to California…” You interrupt with, “No, that was two years ago and we were going to New York…” The story continues: “We had driven about five miles that morning and stopped at this little blue store…” “No, remember it was midday and we had gone well over fifteen miles and the store was red…

What happens to the story? To the audience? More importantly, what happens to the storyteller? First, the story has lost its purpose. Those listening have been distracted by your insistence on accuracy of detail. The storyteller begins to experience frustration, anger and perhaps even a sense of unworthiness. Anger is evident when the storyteller somewhat heatedly says, “OK, you tell the story.” Disguised anger is revealed when the storyteller says ‘sweetly,’ “Oh, honey, you always tell the story better than I do…”

In her book, Invitations from God, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun addresses this demand to be right: I often hear couples debating who is right about what happened. Each one refuses to admit that she or he might be wrong about some detail: how far they walked, how long ago it was, who was there. One of them may be a stickler for accuracy, while the other is after the big picture and not too concerned about details.

Perhaps you see yourself in this description. Do you find yourself constantly correcting people in conversation? Or maybe it’s just always adding a bit of information to the discussion you think absolutely necessary. If someone says, “I hear we’re having a snowstorm tomorrow,” must you add, “But it won’t be anything like the one two years ago”?

This sometimes happens in a Bible study. People can become so passionate about the subject under discussion that they feel they must always add their insight or knowledge. While this may add color or detail to the general theme, often those in the group less willing to ask questions or who feel they have less “knowledge” remain silent.

These words from Ahlberg struck a chord in my soul: The type of humility that admits you are wrong when you know you are wrong is confession. The humility that admits you might be wrong when you’re pretty sure you’re right is maturity.

by Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

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Confession!  It’s a word that conjures up many images—some not so positive.

Confession isn’t telling God what he doesn’t know.  That’s impossible.  It’s not pointing fingers at others without pointing any at me.  That may feel good, but it doesn’t promote healing. Confession is a radical reliance on grace—a trust in God’s goodness.  The truth is, confessors find a freedom that deniers don’t!

Scripture says, “If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right.  He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.” John 1:8-9

Tell God what you did.  Again, it’s not that he doesn’t already know, but the two of you need to agree!  Then let the pure water of grace flow over your mistakes!

By Max Lucado
Used by permission
From: GRACE

To learn more about Max Lucado
https://maxlucado.com/about/

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• The Other Side of Confession – A Devotional by Claire Colvin

• Personal Revival – Devotional by Katherine Kehler

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“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

You probably know that the word “confession” means, “agreeing with God”. When we confess our sins we don’t do it to tell God what we’ve done. He already knows that. We confess to say, “Yes God, I agree that that was wrong” and then we can repent. But what God showed me recently was that there are two things God and I need to agree on, not just one.

So often in confession I’ve listed out my sins and sat there in quiet guilt. The list is always so long. This time God spoke to me. “We agree about what you’ve done, Claire.” He said. “Now can we agree about who you are?”

There in that private moment He brought to mind verses that spoke of God’s love for me. He reminded me how I am fearfully and wonderfully made, how I am chosen and precious and planned for. I sat there quietly until I could agree with God about that too. I sat there resting in God’s truth.

It is so easy to see our own flaws and shortcomings. But when God sees us He doesn’t only see what we’ve done, He sees who we are. There are two sides to confession. Agree with God about what you have done and repent, but don’t miss the other side. Agree with God about who you are: loved and wanted and precious and worth dying for.

In that moment of vulnerability that always comes with confession, let God love you. Walk out into the world forgiven.

Father, Thank you that because of Jesus I do not stand condemned. Help me to be quick to confess and quick to remember Your promises. Help me to understand what it means to be forgiven and keep my eyes fixed on You. Amen.

By Claire Colvin
Used by Permission

Confession is the first step.  If you don’t know Jesus in a personal way you can begin a relationship with him today. The first step is a prayer telling him you believe He is who He says He is and a second step is surrendering control of your will and life to him.  These can be communicated in a simple prayer (prayer is talking to God):

“Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, then you can pray this prayer right now and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

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Read: Psalm 32:1-7

Guilt comes from a feeling of responsibility for some wrongdoing.

Conviction can result from the Holy Spirit’s efforts to turn us away from sin and guide us to our heavenly Father. But not all guilt stems from ungodly actions.

False guilt, which is not prompted by sin, can surface for a variety of reasons, such as disappointment in one’s own performance, a sense of shame over past events, or criticism from others for unmet expectations. Rejection or a pattern of abuse from childhood can also trigger this emotion. False guilt is a powerful weapon the enemy uses to direct our thoughts away from the Lord.

Whether false or real, the emotion of guilt divides our mind, drains our energy, and creates a sense of insecurity. If we allow it to linger, we can start to have doubts about God’s goodness and love for us. Depression and hopelessness may follow. To cope, some people develop compulsive behaviors in an attempt to replace self-reproach with something pleasurable. Excessive amounts of food, television, internet, shopping, and exercise are common ways people try to push away self-condemning thoughts.

Addressing guilt quickly is important. Acknowledge the emotion to the Lord, and identify the reason behind it. If you’ve violated God’s law, ask His forgiveness, and take steps to change the behavior. If you discover false guilt, confess it and ask God to adjust your thinking to match His. In either case, praise Him because He doesn’t want His children carrying unnecessary burdens and has promised to forgive our sins.

By Dr. Charles Stanley
Used by Permission

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