From Pastor Phillips's exhortation on Sunday, January 29th
In Psalm 51:12, David prays, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” This is a significant part of David’s prayer of repentance because here he acknowledges his need to be restored and upheld by God. Like our first parents, we are tempted to believe that we can be self-sufficient, or independent.
But, we are created to need others. A baby is born needing his parents and others to care for him – food, diapers, sleep, protection, teaching, nurture, affection, etc. And, no matter what we tell ourselves later on, we can never be truly independent and self-sufficient without doing great damage to our souls. We need other people.
Of course, more than that, we were created to know God. We are created in His image, made for His glory, destined for eternity somewhere. We are given souls that will never die. And when we live instead for our selves and our sins, our souls feel it.
It is God’s loving and severe mercy that brings us again to a place of dependence, a place where we recognize our need to be restored and upheld. We are dependent on Him, and that is not shameful. It is as it should be. We are made in God’s image - to know Him, to love Him, to dwell in union with Him through Christ.
Let us, then, confess our sins to the Lord…