The Best of the Portals of Prayer

Read: Genesis 42:9-38

“They said to one another; in truth we are guilty.”
Genesis 42:21

Confess it!

It was not until his brothers had faced up to their wicked deeds that Joseph could show his love for them. Years later, David found the same thing to be true. A guilty conscience can be a terrible thing. It leaves no peace within or without. Psychology and the Bible advise, “release it”; “confess it”. As a festering boil must be lanced to get relief, so a pent-up sense of guilt must be given an outlet.
But it is hard to say, “I was wrong. I have sinned. I am sorry.” In vain, we try to forget or cover up. The only way to peace and happiness is in facing the issue and asking for forgiveness. The Bible tells us; “confess your sins to one another” [James 5:16]. This does not mean to advertise your weaknesses and failures to the curious. It does mean that we should discuss the trouble-some matter with a trustworthy friend. Most important is to confess our sins to God. Only God can understand us completely. Only He, through Jesus, can bury our sins so that they return no more to haunt and curse us.

March 15, 1963