Get Real

Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
-Psalm 19:12-14

  This passage truly is the cry of my heart right this very second. The things I write about in these devotionals are not just things that I think you should know. These are things that God has been speaking to me personally. If I place a convicting question or statement in front of you, it is only because God has recently placed it in front of me. This week is no exception! So, let's talk about these "hidden faults" and "willful sins." This is a topic that God and I have been discussing for weeks. For some reason, this week, it has been the main topic of our conversations. Sometimes, I think I can just ignore my spirit/flesh battle. Maybe if I just pretend it doesn't exist, it will go away. Denial. It's funny how we really think ignoring something makes is go away. But, sooner or later, we find out that the problem only grows. We are so busy not looking at it, that before we know it, it's bigger than us! How can we get rid of hidden faults if we continue to hide them? We can't!
  The bottom line is: Do you really want to be blameless? Do you really want to be innocent of great transgression? Do you really want the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart to please God? Do YOU really want that? Let's do a heart check. Where is your heart? Do we REALLY love God or do we love our hidden sin? We can't serve two masters. Remember? It doesn't work that way. Are we really willing to let God search our hearts and clean us out? You know what else is funny? We think we have it all under control. We think we can control our hidden sins. The truth is, they control us. What will it take to admit it ALL? I don't mean that we never sin again. But, do we love Him enough to keep laying it down? Do we really want to be clean?
  What are YOU hiding? Another version (NLT) calls them "deliberate sins." Is there something you are fully aware is sin, but you keep doing it... deliberately? Perhaps, that sin is ruling over you. Perhaps, you are in bondage to it. And perhaps, that precious sin is standing in the way of a huge move of God in your life. Drop your chains! Give it up. Admit that you can't control it. When you release control, He takes it. YOU can't fix it, but you CAN get real.