Wondered by the Word — the Bible in a YearSample

The Path of Repentance

Key Verse : Psalm 38:18, 21-22

It’s never easy to admit when we are wrong. From the inception of sin, our natural proclivity is to run, hide, and cover. Adam and Eve modeled that very well. What they didn’t know was that while they ran to hide because of their disobedience, God would provide covering so they wouldn’t feel ashamed.

On the other side of confessing our sin, the forgiveness and covering of God await. However, because of unbelief, we run, hide, and cover out of fear and pride.

This is where the power of the Gospel comes in—it regenerates our hearts to see the beauty of confession. It dismantles the walls that we hide behind because of shame. God has made a way for us to know the goodness of confession through the atonement of Christ.

In Psalm 38, we see in David—whom God called a man after His own heart—the beauty of confession rooted in the hope of salvation. Repentance was a natural part of his relationship with God.

We often treat repentance like it’s a nice-to-have, not a requirement. Perhaps we think repentance is a one-time thing that happens when the pastor invites us for an altar call, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The Bible is full of connections between our faith’s path and the continual act of repentance on that path.

Repentance is what shows our reverence to a Holy God whose presence can’t overlook sin. Our daily obedience to Christ’s command to repent reflects God’s good plan for humanity; that even in the fallenness of our humanity, our hearts can rest in His redemption.

While the effects of sin displayed in Psalm 38 are strong, the forgiveness of God is stronger. And it is the act of repentance that opens the door for us to know that truly and deeply.

Like David, may we know the heart of our Father, who finds great joy in forgiving the repentant heart.

(Written by Yodit Kifle Smith)