“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

Our natural tendency is to protect ourselves. Therefore, we may be tempted to cover our sins in our own minds. We may feel the urge to “protect” ourselves from the pain of freely confessing and acknowledging our sins to God. But this way of thinking and doing is not really protecting ourselves at all. It is to our detriment. The person who does so, shall not prosper, according to the verse. It’s like someone who needs a painful surgery, but wants to protect self from that pain. In reality, the surgery may hurt, but it will benefit them in the long run.

The blessed promise is this: when we confess our sins freely to God, with the purpose and intention of forsaking those sins, we have mercy from Him. We all need this promise, because we all are sinners. Daily, we miss the mark that God has set for us. We fall short in so many areas. Thankfully, we don’t have to bear this burden ourselves. We run to our Father and openly confess to Him and ask forgiveness on the basis of the Cross of Christ. Then we seek His power to forsake those sins. Praise the Lord for His mercy that endureth forever!