Who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

— Psalm 19:12

When I was in grade school, there were many times that I thought a teacher or a parent had eyes in the back of their head. I could not get away with anything I was not supposed to be doing. Sometimes my hidden thoughts were identified by those who were not even looking at me. And to prevent me from even trying something out of line, they said, “Just remember, God sees everything you do.”

Having someone watching our every move can help to keep our actions in check, but what about our thoughts and the things we are tempted to say? When we allow the bright light of God’s law to shine into our inner self, it illuminates our hidden faults and lights up a warning. Without God’s law we are blind to what separates us from God.

The psalmist knows that he cannot see his faults by looking into a mirror. He looks instead into God’s law and asks God to forgive not only his visible sins but also his hidden faults.

And the God of the Bible does forgive. Knowing the fact of God’s forgiveness assures the psalmist that he will be blameless in God’s sight. Not perfect yet, but blameless now.

Father God, even though your law is good and I want to obey it, I know I do not. Thank you for Jesus, who kept it perfectly so that by faith I can become one with him in your eyes. I love you, Jesus, and I thank you for loving me. Amen.