READING: Lamentations 1:3:36
Let me get right to the point. I think we take confession far too lightly. Too often, we quickly say, “I’m sorry” when we sin, spend a few minutes in prayer, and then press on with life. Nowhere to be found is the “God, I agree with you about the wrongness of my sin” attitude that should mark genuine confession; long gone is the deep, deep displeasure with our sin that should lead to confession in the first place. Shallow repentance and flippant confession go hand-in-hand.
The book of Lamentations, on the other hand, is a book of grief over the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. In some sections of the book, the city of Jerusalem is itself given a voice, as in this statement affirming God’s judgment: “The Lord is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples, look on my suffering. My young men and women have gone into exile” (Lam 1:18). God was right in judging us, Jerusalem said.
Further, the city was “in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious” (Lam 1:20). The temporary pleasure of rebellion against God had worn off, and the God-given conviction of wrong had settled in — especially when the city had fallen.
In these texts, we find a simple formula for confessing sin: affirm who God is, and then take responsibility for our wrong. When we start confession with our wrong, we miss an opportunity to see first the Holy God against whom the sin was committed. Further, repentance is most genuine when feel the weight of our crossing God’s boundaries, accompanied by our honest commitment to turn from that wrong.
Today, declare God’s righteousness, and in that light see the darkness of your sin. Listen to the torment of your heart when you do wrong. And, repent.
ACTION STEPS:
- Using the Bible and other resources you trust, do a brief study about the righteousness of God.
- Spend the day confessing your sin to God. It might be a tough day, but it will be cleansing.
PRAYER: “God, we echo the words of Lamentations: ‘I have rebelled against Your command. Forgive me.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Lamentations 3:37-5:22