Monday, July 18, 2022

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 51:1-2

Have you ever eaten a bowl of ice cream and gotten down to the bottom of the bowl and there was residue left on the bottom? Although the ice cream is gone, it is obvious that ice cream had been there. The residue remains. It is the same with sin. We may complete the sin, but the residue of guilt is left behind.

Guilt is something we deal with because we did not meet God’s righteous standards. It is one of Satan’s greatest weapons against the children of God because it keeps us stuck in the past. Guilt is an inner conflict. On the outside, it appears that everything is fine, but on the inside, we may be struggling with feelings of self-condemnation and frustration with ourselves.

The fact of the matter is that nothing good can come from guilt. In this passage of scripture, David had gone nearly a year after committing adultery and murder. Then David is confronted, and he must face what he did. He could have chosen to live in guilt, but instead, he pours out his heart to God in repentance. For nearly a year, he has run from God, and now he has to run to God.

What has you immobilized in guilt? What sin causes you to mull over it again and again in your mind? What keeps you stuck in the past?

PRAYER: Lord, I have fallen short of your righteousness. Instead of running from you, I run to you and ask that you create in me a clean heart and renew the right spirit in me. Lord, this guilt gnaws away at me, keeping me stuck in my past. Let me receive your grace, so that I can walk victoriously. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen

This devotional is taken from the sermon, “Conquering Guilt”

By Reverend Lenora Bonaparte