“But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” -Psalm 19:12 NIV
After many years with our beloved “Big Red,” our family car, this summer, it was time to buy a new vehicle. It had been over a decade since I’d had a new car, so with all the “extras,” I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Specifically, I was overjoyed when I saw my car had a blind spot sensor.
I am a self-proclaimed, overcautious driver. I am that person who rides in the right lane, puts her flashers on when there is a lot of congestion, and turns down the music when it’s drizzling. One of my biggest fears is not seeing a car in my blind spot and getting into a wreck. So, when I hopped into my new ride and noticed the yellow car light illuminate as I was being (inevitably) passed, I grinned in delight.
As the weeks passed, the novelty of a flashing light every time a car was beside me began to wear off. What was once a gift became an annoyance. I started thinking about this as I pondered over a recent piece of Scripture we studied in our small group. In Psalm 19, David praises God for his creation and asks the Lord to help forgive and guide him as he seeks to live a godly life.
In Psalms 19:12, we see that David requests forgiveness for intentional sins and the evil he unknowingly committed. David is so in tune with his sinful nature that he wants the Lord to release him of all sin and show him where he has fallen short and didn’t realize his transgressions.
I would like to say that I am as spiritually mature as David, but often my prayers of confessions are for the big boos-boos, and I tend to brush the smaller "unnoticeable to the outside world” sins such as impure thoughts, pride, covetousness, or self-righteousness under the rug. But not David. He laid it all out before the Lord, and the Lord was quick to forgive. But it doesn’t stop there.
We often hesitate to ask the Lord to show us our “spiritual blindspots” because we don’t want to change our behavior. It is exhausting trying to prevent conscious sinning; it is a near-impossible feat to keep up with the many ways that we sin without knowing it. The Lord doesn’t expect us to live perfect lives, nor can we. However, when sin is in our lives, the Holy Spirit acts as a warning light and illuminates the areas we need to confess, repent, and change.
As we read in David’s prayer in Psalms 19:13, he requests that the Lord help him not just to see his blind spots but help him flee from temptation, not allowing any sin to dominate him. David, the same guy who willfully committed adultery( 2 Samuel 11-12), desired to live a pure life. While David knew he would often fall short, he never stopped communing with God and seeking forgiveness when he sinned against the Lord. David lived imperfectly, as all humans do, but his heart desired to be so in tune with God that he quickly asked for forgiveness when he sinned.
Sometimes, turning away from God comes more naturally than turning to Him as David did. May we look at the life of David and find encouragement to cry out to our Savior for forgiveness when we have gone astray by choice or unconsciously. Embrace the gift of the loving Father who gave us His Spirit to correct and prevent us from harm in our spiritual blind spots.
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to live in the hearts of those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. We ask that you help us repent quickly and seek forgiveness and life change when we sinned against you. Thank you for your patience, love, and mercy. We love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Laura Bailey is an author and Bible teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Her recent book, Embracing Eternity in the Here and Now, explores how the timeless truths of Ecclesiastes help us live more peaceful, purposeful, and plentiful lives today.
She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com
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