Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day 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. Psalm 32:1-5 (NLT)
We all sin and fall short of what God wants for us. However, even when we fail, God has a way to bring us back to Him. First, we must repent. We recognize that we have been heading in a direction contrary to where we should be in our life, and when we repent we turn away from that path and return to the one God has intended for us. Repentance brings forgiveness. We confess what wrongs we have done and turn away from them, and this is the path that leads back to God. When you ask for forgiveness, God will forgive you. This gives us a fresh start in life and a starting point to returning to a pure way of life.
Pray: Lord, I have fallen short of your expectations. I have sinned. I have not lived the pure life you wish for me. Help me to repent and turn back to you. Allow me to receive your forgiveness and to forgive myself of my past. Lead me to the new way, the better way, you have always intended for me and grant me the strength to pursue it fully. Amen.