Observation: This Psalm celebrates the value of confession and forgiveness. The psalmist writes that keeping silent about her/his sin was deadly, not just to the spirit, but also to the body. The psalmist describes physically "wasting away" and "drying up as in the heat of summer." Only when she/he confesses openly to God, setting all falsehoods aside, comes the freedom of living in God's forgiveness.
Application: The hardest person to be honest with is myself. And make no mistake: keeping silence about truths that need to be spoken is dishonest. As long as we are in defense mode, focusing and speaking aloud only the shortcomings of others, this oppressive, fearful silence will continue to rule in our hearts. And just repeating general platitudes like, 'I'm not perfect, just forgiven' falls way short of the honesty that will set us free. In a way, saying something like that without any internal reflection leads to its own moral superiority: a silence about our own wrongs, that deceives ourselves and attempts to deceive God. But having an honest conversation within ourselves about the specific things for which we need forgiveness--even confessing them aloud, confidentially, to another Christian, if needed--and most importantly sharing them with God, that's where honesty begins. Let's stop the lies. They are shaving days, weeks, years off our lives. Let's break the silence, and be honest about our specific need for grace. God is ready to listen.
Prayer: Most merciful God,
we confess
that we are captive to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
We have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you
with our whole heart;
we have not loved
our neighbors as ourselves.
For the sake
of your Son, Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us, renew us, and lead us,
so that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.
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