Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless,
and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power…
Thanks so much for stopping by to have coffee with me and to read a bit more of our November’s WOW! It’s a lot of meat to eat, so I’m trying to give you just a bit more than a mouthful each time. I hope you are getting the sweet rewards from applying knowledge to your life so your spiritual fruit may be experienced! Grab your coffee and let’s wrap up the wrap-up of David’s conversation found in these three verses.
David then moves from cleansing him from his secret faults to a more assertive action, and I truly believe the reason for that is the presumptuous sins had a bigger hold on his heart so it’s like you can just hear him groaning as he says: “Keep back Your servant also from” – in other words, in addition to these secret faults of mine, Lord, can you literally pull me back from these –”presumptuous sins.”
Now I have a confession for you: I thought I knew what presumptuous meant, but I wasn’t completely right. I just had a little tiny piece of it so I did some research. The Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines presumptuous in this way: too confident, especially in a way that is rude. That makes sense, but here’s where the definition gets a bit tricky: “Done or made without permission.”
Ah-ha, so could that mean that if I do something without asking the Lord’s permission, presuming it is okay, and it’s not, then that’s a presumptuous sin? Well, the simple answer is why would I do something without my Father’s permission? Oops, I just answered a question with a question. Let me see if I can clear this up somehow by explaining what a presumptuous sin is not!
Have you ever misinterpreted, misheard or misjudged what you thought to be the right thing to do after seeking God in prayer? Oh, friend, I have, and more than once. I think spiritual disillusionment as a result of thinking something was right according to His will for my/our life is one of the most emotionally and spiritually challenging humps to climb up and over. And why is that? The answer is found in one word …. Drum roll… P R I D E!
Isn’t it hard enough to admit you were wrong in any given situation, i.e. a disagreement with your spouse, or a friend, a mistake in the way you parented your child, or a financial blunder wherein you spent something you shouldn’t have? Oh, how I remember it being so difficult to admit that I was wrong, had made a mistake. I mean, old cement melting would be easier than me admitting my faults, errors and bad judgments.
But I’ve learned something very, very freeing when it comes to making a mistake while erring on the side of faith: We are covered! As long as I invite Him into it, to guide me through it, even when my flesh fails, or if I do it wrong, hear it incorrectly, plan it wrong, make a wrong decision, this is not a presumptuous sin!
I think of this whole ministry journey that began with a desire to write ONE book … I have made so many mistakes in so many areas despite thinking I was doing the right thing and He was there to pick me up, and clean up the mess and teach me to listen a bit closer, granting me wisdom and more discernment and spurring me on … in writing, in event planning, in office administration, in conducting board meetings, in teaching, in ridding me of me so there can be more of Him and less of me! So I’m thinking that what distinguishes between a presumptuous sin and a mistake is the heart.
Have you had your heart checked today?
Oh, Abba, rid me of anything that will lead me to a secret fault and a presumptuous sin!
Join us tomorrow for more of this ten-course meal of scripture!
Love,
Evinda
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