He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.1
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I read a story about a husband who came home drunk late one night and snuck up the stairs as quietly as possible to avoid waking his wife. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he had received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he had pulled it off.
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When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. \"You were drunk last night, right?\"
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\"No, honey.\"
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\"Well, if you were not, then who put all the Band-Aids on the bathroom mirror?\"
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The truth is that most of us want to hide our sins and the wrongs that we have done for fear of being found out and shamed. However, no matter how hard we try, we can never hide the guilt that comes with it. We may bury it in the unconscious mind, but it is never forgotten\'€”and what we fail to talk about can cause serious physical, emotional and/or spiritual distress and major relational conflicts. The thing we try to hide can be what leads us to act out negatively in one way or another.
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When King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, killed in an attempt to hide his sin, his guilt tormented him.
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In the Psalms he wrote, \'€œDay and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, I will confess my rebellion to the Lord. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.\'€2
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We have all sinned and we all need forgiveness from our loving Father and healing from guilt and its damaging consequences. The good news is that, as the Bible says, \'€œIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.\'€3
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Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you for giving Your Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for all my sins, which I now confess to You. Please forgive me and give me the courage to step forward in freedom and leave the guilt of my sins behind me. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.
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1. Proverbs 28:13 (NIV).
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document.writeln(" 2. Psalm 32:4-5 (NLT).
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document.writeln(" 3. I John 1:9 (NIV).
Today\'s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.
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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
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