The Honesty Of Confession - Part 2
I recently wrote about the Honesty of Confession (found here) found in Psalm 32. In it I looked at the first of three types of confession, being confession of sin. I had defined confession as 'seeing the reality as it really is, and being honest about it.'
This post I want to look at a second type of confession - the Confession of Circumstance.
Verse 6 really defines what this confession is. Its the 'help me God' prayer!
After confession of sin, this is the prayer I say the most! From the little things like when my car battery died this week at a very inconvenient time, to the big things like the situation with Life Matters, I need to ask for help so,so many times.
This verse has a lot of truth in it that I need to remind myself of. It is an invitation to pray to God at a time when he may be found. What time is this? All the time - he promised to never leave or forsake me! So even in the midst of difficulties, God is within reach. It is an open invitation to come and find whatever I need, whenever I need!
But this verse is also a reality check for me. It speaks of the 'rush of great waters', surely an image of life sometimes!
Just like a tsunami or tidal wave, life can be overwhelming and relentless sometimes. I love the Bible's honesty - it doesn't deny that there will be times when I will face an oncoming 'rush.' It also bluntly shows me some of these rushing waters will be 'great.' But it doesn't stop there - these waters will not reach me. What does this mean?
I might get soaked by these waters, but I won't drown.
I may see waters all around my feet, increasing and rising upwards.
I may feel like I'm treading water, not moving - and getting more and more tired.
The waters I'm in may scare me, or anger me, or confuse me, or frustrate me.
But these waters won't sweep me away to destruction.
I will not drown.
Paul echoes the same sentiment in 2 Corinthians 4:7-11. He was "struck down, but not destroyed."
I will get soaked, but I will not drown.
That is the promise of God.
This prayer of need that verse 6 talks about is a confession of circumstance.
Basically, honesty in prayer.
I have found that God loves it when I confess my situation to him. And when I confess my feelings to him.
No dressing it up, super-spiritualising it or hiding what I really think. But being truthful. It makes sense to me anyhow - why shouldn't I be honest or real, because God knows anyway!
Scripture shows me this in a number of places. Abraham haggled. Moses reasoned. Job pleaded. They all confessed the situation they were in, and how they felt.
They were all honest with God.
Honesty is a demonstration of vulnerability, and a revealing of our innermost feelings and thoughts. It builds intimacy with someone, and I think it's the same with God. I have found that the more I share my heart with him, the more he shares his heart with me.
Verse 7 tells me God promises to be there for me. In the face of onrushing thunderous waters, he will be a cave for me to hide in.
A ledge or cliff I can climb to safety.
He will make a way.
Deliverance in the Bible is like 'rescue.' The promise of God is that he will step in like the hero and save me. With shouts of deliverance - shouts of triumph and victory.
My experience is that the shouts of triumph are shouts that come from me. Sometimes God has taken me to the edge of myself, but has stepped in and delivered - rescued me. He has this amazing way of taking what almost destroyed me, and turning it into something that even now I can actually celebrate and thank him for! I can look back over those times of great waters and recognise that I have grown and learnt from him.
Just like verse 8 says, the waters in my life often contain lessons for my. Is my situation really God's schooling for me? Isn't that what Romans 8:28 says to me?
However, I often miss the grace of suffering that is given to me to shape me and make me more like Jesus. Verse 9 is a warning to me about this, being the stubborn and proud man that I am.
When I pull away from God, he always pulls me back to him somehow. Sometimes he woo's me - he pursues me and breaks in on my everyday life, interrupting my busyness to spend time with me.
Or he will gently open my eyes to the stupidity of my attitude or actions, and draw me back to him. His kindness leads me to repentance.
Sometimes I will spend time with another believer and just talking about spiritual things will 'kickstart' me. There are a couple of men in my life who I know do me good, and when I need to 'go again' I seek them out just to capture something that they have.
But sometimes I stray further afield. The more I pull away from God, the harder he pulls me back. And if necessary to keep me close to him, this may hurt me. But just as verse 9 says, God's heart is that I would 'stay near him.'
He wants intimacy above all else, just like verse 10 tells me.
But my trust in God - my faith - is so important during seasons of trouble. My situation or circumstance often attacks my faith and tests it. It takes faith to trust that God is good, that he is control and that he loves me when everything around me is screaming the opposite.
The Bible tells me in Hebrews 11:1 that faith has a huge element of the unseen about it. Faith is governed by what I don't see!
Faith is trusting God is who he says he is.
Faith is believing that God will do what he says he will.
Faith is having confidence that God will act on my behalf.
When my faith - dependent on believing the unseen - is being stretched by what is seen, I am and will grow spiritually if I persevere. Just like Romans 5:3-5 says!
Maybe this is why trusting God is such a big deal in the Christian walk. Suffering and difficulty brings me to the end of myself and to a place where I have to confess “God, only you can make the difference now.”
Confessing the reality of my circumstances to God, and my feelings about them, builds intimacy with him. Deep relationships thrive on openness and honesty. Spiritually, it’s the same principle. So I intend to keep confessing – state truth – when I'm speaking with God.
Next time, I want to look at the final confession shown in Psalm 32.
Currently listening to: Oasis - The Masterplan from The Masterplan
