Nehemiah 1:6-7

I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.

Over the last few weeks, we have had a problem with a water leak. We live in a reasonably new house but have seen water trickling down from the bathroom into the kitchen. We duly called in a plumber who used bright lights and careful instruments to discover where the leak was coming from.

There are times in life when we just have to face the facts, uncomfortable as they may be. In a sense, that’s what happens when we come into the presence of a holy God. The truth about our lives is suddenly revealed. The fact is, we are sinners and we live in a community that is sinful. Nehemiah knew that he had to be absolutely honest with God.

At times we like to play games with ourselves and make out that we are really not that bad. We open the newspapers and compare ourselves with people who have committed appalling crimes and feel better about ourselves. [itals]We[end itals] would never do such things. But the reality is that we all fall short of God’s perfect standards and we need his forgiveness if we are ever going to live in partnership with him. The wonderful truth is that, if we are willing to confess our sins, God is willing to forgive us. When Jesus died on the cross he took upon himself the full weight of our sin.

Nehemiah’s words remind me of Isaiah who, faced with the holiness of God, felt thoroughly depressed. He cried out: “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips” (Isaiah 6:5). But God sent a seraph, an angelic being, to cleanse his lips. Praise God that when we confess our sins he is willing, in the same moment, to forgive us and set us free to live our lives to the full.

Question

How do you respond to the news that God longs to forgive you?

Prayer

Loving God, thank you for the amazing and liberating gift of forgiveness. Amen