Friday 26 September 2014

Psalm 51:9 « Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. »

Often in the Bible we find this expression, “Hide your face,” or “Turn your face away from.” It doesn’t mean that the person in question runs away or plays hide and seek.  Rather, it means to NOT look intently upon a thing.

David is asking God to cover His eyes.  David is no longer running away from the responsibility of his sins, nor is he trying to put the blame on someone else.  Rather he has understood something about the heart of God that escapes so many of us today.

We think that God is obsessed with our crimes against Him, when in reality He is obsessed with His love for us.  Our crimes must be dealt with.  And God will indeed point out our sin.  But He is anything but obsessed with it.  Somehow David knew that.  And in the process of transformation we too must be reassured of God’s unfailing love towards us and towards the promises He has spoken over us.  What God began in us He is fully committed to finishing.  And His commitment is unfailing.

It is neither our sin, nor our righteousness that motivate God.  He is motivated and inspired by Himself.  He has spoken a word and that word must come to pass.  When it comes to your and my sins the only thing that truly inspires God is the sacrifice of Jesus.  And when we stand, by faith, in the accomplished work of the cross of Christ, God is moved far beyond anything we can imagine.  He is a God quick to save, and slow to judge.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said, If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged (by God).  (1 Corinthians 11:31)  We must look at our sin.  And as long as we do that, God will not have to.  However, if we justify our sin, shift the blame on someone or something else, then we will have to endure the exposure from heaven.

Courage.  This is what is needed to take the truth of God and shine the light clearly on the sin.  Do not hide your face from your sin.  Look at it clearly for what it really is.  For when you see clearly, God no longer need to look.

Let this be a day of courage for you.  You are well on the road to transformation.  To go to the end you need courage to face your sin and your weaknesses.  And if God be for you, you will certainly succeed.