He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13.
Achan acknowledged his guilt, but when it was too late for the confession to benefit himself. He had seen the armies of Israel return from Ai defeated and disheartened; yet he did not come forward and confess his sin. He had seen Joshua and the elders of Israel bowed to the earth in grief too great for words. Had he then made confession, he would have given some proof of true penitence; but he still kept silence. He had listened to the proclamation that a great crime had been committed, and had even heard its character definitely stated. But his lips were sealed. Then came the solemn investigation. How his soul thrilled with terror as he saw his tribe pointed out, then his family and his household! But still he uttered no confession, until the finger of God was placed upon him. Then, when his sin could no longer be concealed, he admitted the truth. How often are similar confessions made. There is a vast difference between admitting facts after they have been proved and confessing sins known only to ourselves and to God. Achan would not have confessed had he not hoped by so doing to avert the consequences of his crime. But his confession only served to show that his punishment was just. There was no genuine repentance for sin, no contrition, no change of purpose, no abhorrence of evil.
So confessions will be made by the guilty when they stand before the bar of God, after every case has been decided for life or death…. When the records of heaven shall be opened, the Judge will not in words declare to man his guilt, but will cast one penetrating, convicting glance, and every deed, every transaction of life, will be vividly impressed upon the memory of the wrongdoer. The person will not … need to be hunted out … but his own lips will confess his shame. The sins hidden from the knowledge of men will then be proclaimed to the whole world.
If you have sins to confess, lose no time. These moments are golden. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
Conflict and Courage p. 121
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Prayer Requests
—– Buddy had his lower GI studies and once again they did not find any causative factor. This does not cover the small bowel which is still suspect. They released him to home yesterday immediately after the recovery period from the test and directly from SICU which is unusual. The cause of the loss of blood is still not known and may possibly recur. He is awaiting insurance approval for further testing. He is not out of the woods yet so please continue to remember him in your prayers. Donna
—–Please continue to pray for our family. L
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Dear Friends,
Some years ago, a friend was telling me how she was being criticized for how she was handling a certain situation. She made the comment that this person just didn’t understand because she had not “walked in her shoes.” This made me think of the many times I and my family members had been misunderstood and criticized and the affect that had had upon us. It made me wonder what would have happened if there instead of criticism there had been understanding. Then I began to realize how many times I have done the same.
How often we lack understanding in our dealing with others. How many times we think that someone should be acting a certain way or doing certain things, but we don’t really realize what they are going through. If we were to live in the same circumstances, we might discover that we are doing as they do, or we might become overwhelmed and unable to bear their burdens.
Praise God! Our Loving Creator never misjudges us! How kind and tender He is toward us! He understands what we are going through, for He left all of the glories of Heaven to dwell with us, to live as we live, to walk as we walk. Isaiah says of Him, “He [was] despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.” Isa 53:3-5
David assures us “The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there.” Ps 87:6 When He looks at our life, He takes into consideration our background, all that we have gone through in the past, what we are going through in the present, the opportunities that we have had, the sorrows, the cares, the burdens we bare, and judges us accordingly. Wonderful Saviour!
He, Who sacrificed all for us, warns us, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. . . . And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.” “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.” Luke 6:37-42,11:46
James tells us, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. . . . who art thou that judgest another?” James 4:11, 12 Paul adds, “thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” Rom 2:1-3
May we “put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful.” Col 3:12-15
Rose