Confess and Be Blessed
Who here this morning wants to be blessed? I mean like happy, flourishing, thriving — dare I say “living your best life.” Does that sound appealing to anyone?
Perhaps when you hear the question, there’s a part of you that feels a tinge of cynicism. But even that points to the fact of just how badly we long for that kind of life. I don’t know about you, but a blessed life sounds pretty good to me. So how does one get from having a troubled-heart to actually experiencing God’s peace and favor in this way? Well, Psalm 32:1-2 shows us that what we are doing in this moment is one path:
“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
This moment of confession in our Sunday liturgy is not fundamentally a holy “moment of silence” that helps us step back from the noise and chaos of our regular lives, or one moment during our week where our consciences can feel a little lighter. Rather, it is an opportunity to put into practice the last line of those verses: “in whose spirit there is no deceit.” We lay our hearts bare before God and entrust ourselves to his mercy. Then he does the blessing. And so let’s make it our aim to live each moment of our lives fully acknowledging the state of our hearts before our Heavenly Father.
And this reminds us of our need to confess our sins.
Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, in the garden right after Adam and Eve first sinned and then attempted to cover their shame and fear and alienation with a fig leaf, you asked them, “Where are you?” You knew exactly where they were, and in the same way, you know exactly where each one of us is in this very moment. Yet so often we deceive ourselves and go to great lengths in our attempts to cover and fix our sin and suffering. But you, in your mercy, relentlessly pursue us. So Father, would you help us in this moment of silent confession to honestly search our hearts with the aid of your Spirit, and to acknowledge to you all the ways in which we have trusted ourselves and failed to trust you.
