Daily Devotional for Tuesday, July 9

David’s Pardon

“For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin,” Psalm 38:18.

Self-awareness is an important trait to have in order to succeed in almost every area of life. The ability to see yourself as others see you, to know how you affect others and to be able to make adjustments in real time is a skill not many people have. In the past, as I have interviewed candidates for teaching positions for school, I paid close attention to this skill. Self-awareness builds team unity and team trust, so it is needed in all team members.

Self-awareness in spiritual matters is also extremely important. We must be aware of our own sinful nature and our own shortcomings. In fact, this kind of self-awareness is a pre-requisite to believing the gospel. If we cannot see our own sinfulness, we will not be able to see our need for forgiveness.

This self-awareness does not end at the point of repentance and faith. David acknowledges his sinfulness even in the midst of unfair harassment and persecution. He knew his sin was real, and he knew he needed God’s cleansing. Too often believers fail to see their sin because they fail to examine themselves. They become too busy looking at the sin of the world or the failings within others to notice their own sin. It takes a close inspection of ourselves, through the lens of Scripture, to see our own sin. If all we do is compare ourselves to others, we do not look all that bad. Against the Scriptures, though, we see our iniquity, and we can then be sorry for our sin. Jesus told us to take care of our own iniquities first, then we can help others.

REFLECTION
Repentance and faith are more than an entry into eternal life; it is the way of life.

Jason Rutherford