Day 28 – Read Proverbs 28
Being Honest with God
As we’ve been reading through the book of Proverbs, we’ve seen a dividing line becoming more apparent. Wise people (people who listen to God, obey His commands, and walk according to His promises) have one set of outcomes. Foolish people (willfully and sinfully impulsive people who make a practice of bad choices) have a completely different outcome.
We know people who honor God and seek His will. We also know people who are out for themselves and have no consideration for others. We see how their lives play out, and there’s little surprise about it all. For some, there's the blessing of abundant life. For others, we see a life without God’s blessing, leading to death.
The Spirit Leads Us to God's Heart
As we read through these proverbs that Solomon wrote, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we can learn more and more about the heart of God. As we seek His wisdom, we see that it's good and right for us to come to Him and confess our sins.
When my kids were little, we always told them they would be in less trouble if they came to us when they did something wrong and were honest about it, rather than trying to hide it, hoping we wouldn’t find out. Truthfully, we still found candy wrappers hidden in their rooms and jammed into nooks around the house. Our kids would say that we had an “invisible roommate” living in our house who really liked eating candy.
Confession is good for the soul. It means we’re putting away pride and fear and trusting God to be merciful as we come to Him in repentance.
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. – Proverbs 28:13 NLT
Daily Examining Our Lives
Wisdom says we should examine ourselves daily. Wisdom reminds us to check our motivations. Wisdom says to make sure we seek out God’s will above our own, confess our sins, and admit our deep need for Him. In grace, God has given us the Good News of Jesus’ sacrifice to help us as we seek Him in His wisdom. He provides direction through His Holy Spirit as we walk in the life that Jesus provides through His atoning death, burial, and resurrection.
Daily Doses of Wisdom’s Treasures
We don’t think about our daily need to be open with God about our struggles like we should. Life is busy. When we think about God’s love for us, and how freely He offers us forgiveness through Christ, it would be foolish to hold everything inside and carry our burdens alone.
Dig Deeper
1. Talk with God today about your relationship with Him. With His amazing grace in mind, be encouraged through a time of open conversation with Him.
2. Find an accountability partner with whom you can discuss God’s promises in James 5:16 and confess your sins to one another.
