Today you have a reason to celebrate! Today you have a reason to be glad! God out of his infinite grace and mercy offers you his gift of forgiveness! God’s mercy toward you as a sinner is the root that empowers you to join the faithful people of God with happiness! Happiness doesn’t come from being important, accomplished, organized, optimistic or busy but from being forgiven and standing righteous before God.

Forgiveness has been there all along! Forgiveness is available for you right now! The silence of unacknowledged sin does not need to eat away your soul and psyche. Choose this moment to avail yourself of what is truly freeing – sincere confession, repentance and obedience.

The way out of the prison of your own private hell, of living in fear of being found out, of lying to others, of covering up and being endlessly distracted is not denial but confession. Confession is the doorway to freedom and reconciliation. Confession begins by tearing your gaze away from your sin towards God and the sanctified possibilities that lay ahead for you.

Confession is ego-bruising work. Confession happens in a lonely place where you admit things about yourself that you would rather ignore. Confession may include the difficult tasks of putting aside your pride, or seeking the forgiveness of others, or seeking the forgiveness of your community. Confession of your sins to God, comes with the blessedness of receiving God’s forgiveness and experiencing the joy and relief that comes from new life in Christ!

The blessed state of knowing that you are forgiven leads you down the path of character formation and acquisition of habits consistent with a life conformed to God’s will. Since you are forgiven you have the blessed privilege of seeing God’s face right where you are at this very moment.

To be human is not to be a sinner but to be loved. To be righteous is not to be sinless but to be forgiven and freed. To be in Christian community is not to downplay your brokenness but to be transformed by the One who healed brokenness on the cross and whose name is and always will be Love.

You do not need to cower and hide in your closet in fear. With joy you can find your hiding place in God. God’s forgiveness is sufficient reason to be confident and celebrate even when the storms of life and temptation threaten to overwhelm you. God will never let his loved ones drown!

When the storms of life and temptation are raging around you, God’s instruction and words of wisdom will instruct you, teach you, counsel you and show you the path you need to walk. God’s watchful loving eye sees you and sees the path you need to walk.

Just like a mother wraps a newborn baby in a blanket, God wraps you in his steadfast love when you seek his forgiveness, and you place your trust in him.

Rejoice in the Lord for his precious gift of forgiveness! Join the multitudes who stand in the presence of the God of their salvation proclaiming with delight that his love endures forever!

Go ahead – Shout for joy! Sing God’s praises! Rejoice in the Lord and be glad! God showers his kindness on you and each person who is upright in heart!

When you confess your sins then you can say with David in Psalm 32 …

Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
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.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

(Psalm 32)