Though we profess that God is all-seeing and all-knowing, that he understands not merely the actions of our hands and the thoughts of our minds but even the intentions of our hearts, still we sometimes feel as if we need to hold back from telling him all that we have thought, all that we have done, all that we have desired. Yet if we are to confess our sins before him, we need to confess them all, for he knows them anyway. These words from F.B. Meyer encourage you to tell him the truth—the unvarnished truth.

You have lost the light of God’s face, not because He has arbitrarily withdrawn it, but because your iniquities have come between you and your God; and your sins, like a cloud before the sun, have hid His face from you.
Do not spend time by looking at them as a whole. Deal with them one by one. The Boer is a formidable foe to the British soldier because he is trained from boyhood to take a definite aim and bring down his mark, whilst our soldiers fire in volleys. In dealing with sin, we should imitate him in the definiteness and accuracy of his aim.
Ask God to search you and show you what wicked way is in you. Marshal all your life before Him, as Joshua marshalled Israel, sift it through, tribe by tribe, family by family, household by household, man by man, until at last you find the Achan who has robbed you of the blessed smile of God.
Do not say: “Lord, I am a great sinner, I have done what I ought not, I have not done what I ought;” but say, “Lord, I have sinned in this, and this, and that, and the other.” Call up each rebel sin, by its right name, to receive sentence of death. Your heart is choked with sins; empty it out, as you would empty a box, by handing out first the articles that lie on the surface.
When you have removed them, you will see more underneath; hand them out also. When these are removed, you will probably see some more. Never rest till all are gone.
Confession is just this process of telling God the unvarnished story—the sad, sad story—of each accursed sin; how it began: how you sinfully permitted it to grow: how you have loved and followed it to your bitter cost.

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.
Because it’s a new month, there is a whole big list of Kindle deals to consider. There are some strong titles there!
Logos users will want to look at this month’s free and almost free books. Also, lots of great resources from Zondervan are on sale this month (which includes the excellent Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Collection).
(Yesterday on the blog: A Celebration of Friendship)

Barbara reflects on the reality that sometimes “you can do everything ‘right,’ so to speak, and end up with a life seemingly in shambles.”

“Remember, even in our sinfulness, when we fall, we shall rise. The Lord is our light in the darkest times, and His grace is sufficient to lift us up. Let this truth encourage and strengthen you in your walk with Christ.”

We have all heard a good number of negative or alarming assessments of AI. This one considers some of the tremendous benefits it may bring. There are some exciting possibilities!

“I raised four daughters. That is to say, together with my highly-committed and sensible wife, Trudi, I raised four daughters. I must admit, though, that sometimes it feels like they raised me. Nothing highlights one’s sinful tendencies more effectively than raising children. Every parent reading right now knows what I mean.”

It is good to occasionally revisit the matter of Bible translations to consider why we use the Bible we use.

“Are you numbered with the wheat, or are you grouped with the tares? Jesus warned that the church would contain both. Which are you?” Greg Koukl wants you to consider and helps you do so.

Their lives sounded pretty good. They sounded better than mine, if I was comparing…And for a moment I wanted it. I wanted it all.

A proverb is compact wisdom, knowledge in chunks, a library in a sentence, the electricity of many clouds discharged in one bolt, a river put through a mill-race.
—De Witt Talmage

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
I didn’t find a lot of Kindle deals yesterday, but will search again first thing in the morning.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Path to Contentment)

“Christianity has been accused of being pessimistic because of the doctrine of original sin, but it looks downright cheerful in comparison to much of climate activism. It has the best antidote to the problem of climate anxiety because it offers a vision of hope to a culture in despair.”

This is such a sweet article from Melissa. “Sometimes in moments like these, I feel a sense of amazement. What was I doing here, at 46 years old, swaying with this precious person that I didn’t know existed for the first several months of her life? How is it that God orchestrated such an interesting and unexpected story that intertwined our two lives, that made me her mother?”

Margy Tripp has wise counsel for parents wanting to engage their rebellious child. “The Scriptures are full of the qualities and content of reconciliation. It is a spiritual journey—a process, not an event. Let us consider some biblical counsel for dealing with broken relationships with older children that have been caused by sin and rebellion.”

“Is your pastor biblically unqualified? Then that situation pleases the devil while at the same time displeasing God. But if your pastor is biblically qualified, then you should know that Satan hates him. Godly, qualified pastors are a particular source of demonic rage.” Mitch Chase explains.

“Were it an option, I suspect all of us would happily purchase a ticket to the next transfiguration. But Jesus does not offer us or even the other disciples this opportunity. Jesus no longer invites us to climb mountains. Rather…”

I don’t anticipate preaching extemporaneously anytime soon, but was still challenged by this article on Spurgeon’s way of preaching.

If ever words were as water to a thirsty world, surely it was the words that Jesus spoke. How simple they were and yet how deep! How tender and full of love and yet how searching! 

The weight of sin is heavy, but those who are in Christ know the joy of having that weight removed. We do not face punishment but receive mercy. Even on the hardest of days, that wonderful liberation is worthy of our praise.
—Helen Thorne