Proverbs 28

Oh, my friends!  I hope you have been reading more faithfully than me! 

I zoomed to New York to see my daughter, who is a missionary at a camp for inner-city kids.  We were so busy clapping, singing, dancing, studying God's Word I was not able to blog!  Soooo sorry!

Let's get caught up.  I will use these first few days of August to finish up Proverbs! 

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. -- Proverbs 28:13

Have you ever done something that you wish you hadn't?  Did you hide it?  I have.

It's a miserable feeling.  The problem is, a hidden sin is never hidden.  God sees everything. He wants us to be transparent before cleansing can come. 

Cleansing comes with confession.

When we admit our faults, we become the best of all teachers.  We are so very much more approachable. People will listen because they know we are also flawed.

This is a good verse to talk to your children about.  When you do something wrong, say you are sorry.

Get a backpack and fill it with books.  Make it heavy.  Have your child put it on his back. 

"That is heavy, isn't it?  Would you want to carry that pack around all the time?"

That's the way it is when we tell a lie.  We carry it on our backs.  Each new lie brings more weight (add another book). 

"Do you want to carry all this weight around?" 

Maybe we should lighten our load by confessing, which means telling the truth.  Say you're sorry. 

Empty the backpack for your child and put it back on him.  See -- that feels so much better! 

When we say we are sorry, God gives us mercy.  In other words, He forgives us.  That's like adding a tasty little snack to that backpack (put in some fruit chews).

Parents:  We also need to lighten our load a bit.   Admit your mistakes.  Ask for forgiveness.  God will give you mercy.