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Key Bible Verses: When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. … My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat (Psalm 32:3–4). Bonus Reading: Psalm 32:1, 5–7

The other day, the "Change Oil Now" indicator lit up on my car's dashboard. I had a choice about how to deal with that warning. I could have pushed the reset button and the light would have immediately gone out. That temporary solution would have damaged my car in the long run. Or I could stop at a service station and perform the recommended maintenance to preserve the health of my engine.

In the same way, guilt is an indicator that something in our life is wrong. Unfortunately, some people try to prematurely extinguish their guilt by denial ("I'll pretend the light isn't on and keep on living") or rationalization ("There must be some other reason I feel this way, so I'll hit the reset button").

King David tried that approach for about six months after one particular sin. [Today's Key Bible Verses reveal that] it was wholly ineffective.

Only when David repented of his sin did he sense relief from guilt: "Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them … And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone" (Psalm 32:5).

—Robert Jeffress in When Forgiveness Doesn't Make Sense

Adapted from When Forgiveness Doesn't Make Sense (WaterBrook, 2000) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Holy God, enable me to view sin as you do, so that I am determined to reject it.

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