The best thing to do is always the right thing to do—especially after doing the wrong thing. And that was the experience of an intoxicated driver in North Yorkshire, England. Earlier this month, English police received a call from a man who turned himself in over the phone, confessing that he had been driving drunk. He made the reckless decision to get behind the wheel after a long weekend of heavy drinking, but fortunately, he realized his mistake and reported himself to the authorities. According to the Associated Press, “When officers arrived, the 52-year-old man was in a van on the side of the road. A breath test revealed he was three times over the legal limit.”
He made the best decision after making a bad decision. He did the right thing after doing the wrong thing. And that’s what the Lord commands us to do when we’ve done the wrong thing. When we sin against God, we cannot go back in time to undo our actions. But, we can set things right by “turning ourselves in” to the Lord through confession of our sins.
Unconfessed sin yields nothing but destruction, demise, and dismay. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,” warned Solomon, “but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13). Achan of old learned the hard way that failure to confess one’s sins results in wreckage and woe (Josh. 7:1-15). And David reminds us that sin will consume us until we confess it: “For when I kept silent, my bones 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” (Psalm 32:3-4).
Thankfully, cleansing and forgiveness is available when we contritely confess our sins to the Lord: “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). When David eventually confessed his sins, God forgave him as well: “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah” (Psalm 32:5).
Therefore, when you commit sin, immediately confess it to the Lord in the place of prayer. Refrain from self-punishment, and do not dwell on your guilt. Do not engage in other good works to appease your conscience either. Instead, be frank and forthright about your sin, as king David was after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and slew her husband: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment” (Psalm 51:3-4).
Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.
Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).
For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:
Brandon's Desk 