November 7

When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah — Ps 32:3-4 BSB

As soon as David made his confession, the assurance of forgiveness echoed back to him: "I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin!" (Psalm 32:5).

That’s always how it works. God delights in forgiving. The moment He hears the voice of repentance, He speaks the word of forgiveness. This teaches us the only way to truly be free from our sins: we must take them out of our hearts through sincere and humble confession. Then they won’t haunt us anymore.

Some people try to run away from their sins, but they can’t escape because their sins are part of who they are. Others try to hide from God when they’ve sinned, but that’s also a futile effort. Adam and Eve tried to hide in the garden after their sin when they heard God approaching. The only safe escape from sin and from God’s judgment is running toward God. In His mercy, there is a safe and eternal refuge.