i am a sinner. there is nothing that will change that this side of heaven. there isn't a magic pill or a five step program to help me. like the psalmist, there are times when the guilt of my transgressions overwhelms me. like anger or bitterness, guilt can fester in my heart and spread to my mind and throughout my body. i let it eat away at me until i feel it in my bones. it's a heavy burden.
but it's not my burden to bear. Jesus came to give life to the fullest - not a life of cheap thrills and temporary happiness, but a life lived for Him. God didn't create human life with the intent of pointing out every little misstep. He created us for a purpose; for His glory. when i sin, i'm taking my life into my own hands and telling God my way is better, only to fall at His feet, begging for forgiveness, time and time again.
when i confess my sins like the psalmist did in verse eighteen, God is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me.
this psalm talks a lot about sin and guilt and pain, but i also see the beauty in God's discipline. He spoke creation into existence; His very breath holds more power than all the energy on this planet combined, yet He doesn't leash His wrath on me every time i fail. in whatever way He choses to discipline me, it's for my benefit, even in the times of trouble and suffering. anything that draws me closer to Him is a blessing. i am a new creation, and He is molding me to be more like Him.
"anything which drives us to God is a blessing,
and anything which weans us from leaning on the arm of flesh,
and especially that weans us from trying to stand alone, is a boon to us."
spurgeon
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