“Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” That’s David’s advice after his experience of withholding himself from God after the Bathsheba debacle (2 Samuel 11). This is typical human behaviour. There are times when we know something is wrong between us and God. We often even know, deep down, what the source of that feeling is. We have a tendency to do what Adam and Eve did after they sinned against God: we go and hide in our shame (Genesis 3:10). But God wants us to come to him immediately and be open and honest with him. Of course, he already knows what we have thought or done. But he wants us to bring it to him. And yet we withhold this, perhaps in pride; perhaps because we don’t want to let go of our self-righteousness; perhaps because we are too busy justifying things to ourselves. How much agony we go through as we withhold our open confession before God! David describes it here. And then he describes the relief that came from confessing his sin to God. Don’t hold onto shame and hide in the dark. God may use circumstances to fish you out of your hiding. That’s what he did with David and it’s not a nice experience to have to be ‘bridled’ like that. So, come to God right away and talk to God about the things you know are wrong in your life.
Confess your sins to God.
Read Psalm 32
