May 8th
“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
“5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.” Psalms 118: 5-7 RSV
I believe that God will help anyone who honestly cries out to him in truth. The “in truth” part is essential. As we respond to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of the sin in our lives, we’ll begin to see our sin for what it is. Only God can break through the deception caused by sin and open our eyes to its true nature.
Some people may not genuinely see their actions as sin. If that is the case, they need not try to fake repentance to God, because that would not be coming to God in truth. They can simply confess that they need help in recognizing their sin.
Others may be wrestling with cherished sin of the past. For example, memories of sexual encounters often present major obstacles to the road to purity in our thoughts. The flesh loves to hang on to such experiences, especially when our carnal desires ruled our lives. For people with such cherished sin, approaching God in truth would mean to confess the cherishing of the sin and ask God for help in dying to the love of the sin.
We can take comfort in knowing that God loves us very much. He knows our innermost thoughts and intents. Nothing is hidden from him, yet he requires that we be forthcoming with him. In return he will help us break free from the things that hold us and become the people he created us to be in Christ.
Questions for further thought:
How are truth and worship linked? (John 4:23-24)
Are there any areas in which you’ve been trying to hide your true feelings/attitudes from God?
Since God made the ultimate sacrifice of allowing his son to be crucified for our sakes, is it too much to ask that we be honest with him at all times?
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me. Thank you that you provided the way for me to regain peace with you. Lord, I confess the areas that I haven’t been totally honest with you about: ____________________. Please forgive me for trying deceive you. Please help me develop Christ-like attitudes toward each area of rebellion in my life. I invite your Holy Spirit to fill me afresh and sharpen my convictions of sin, righteousness and judgment. Thank you, my God and my Master. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”