Exposing My Junk

Writing this blog sometimes takes me to uncomfortable places.

Sharing things most wouldn’t want to share.

Today is one of those “sometimes.”

You see, the Word of God can be very offensive.

Truth offends my sin. And exposes all of my junk.

To be quite frank, my sin gets quite happy with its dirty fingernails under my skin.

But as we now know, the law of the Lord is clean (v.9).

And clean opposes filth. My filthy sin must flee when confronted by the law.

Or consequences follow…. Bondage.

Warning: The Word just might offend your sin, too. Just sayin’.

Grab your Bible, pen, journal, coffee and settle in…

Psalm 19:12, 13 – A Humble Response to the LawPsalm 19:11 says that by the Law we are warned. God’s Word warns us of danger.

The Word discerns our error. (v. 12)Error: (shĕgiy’ah) the root form of this word means “a sin committed through inadvertence or oversight. A result of inattention.”

Read that again. Error is sin committed due to a lack of attention.

This is ringing all sorts of bells.

Sit with this a moment. Does the law of the Lord lack attention in your life? Where are we overlooking God? What is going on in your soul that may be a result of inattention to His Word?

Let’s keep reading…

(12) Who can discern his errors?

Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

(13) Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me.

David humbly prays, Declareme innocent! In Hebrew, this phrase translates as, “Empty me! Purify me! Purge me of impurities!”

Today we’re going to boil SIN down in two categories: Hidden Sin and Presumptuous Sin You could make two columns on a sheet of paper and compare.

Hidden sin(cathar) is secret and concealed. Hidden from others or ourselves. Or both. Hidden sin can be subtle.

Just as nothing is hidden from the heat of the sun (v.6), the law searches the soul and exposes every nook and cranny. For me, I think of hidden sin as bitterness, pride, selfishness, arrogance, laziness, negligence.

And sassy-ness. Is that a word? Well, it is now. I can be full of sinful sassy-ness…just ask Brent. Presumptuous Sin is an obvious over-stepping of boundary. The Hebrew root word of presumptuous is zed and means arrogant, proud, insolent, bold-faced, inflated and disrespectful.

In so many words it is a good, ol’ fashion “I know I’m not suppose to do it but I’m doin’ it anyway” sin.

So here’s the WARNING: These sins will have DOMINION over us if we are not “declared innocent.”

Sin’s authority grows larger the longer we stay in it. Sintries to take ownership.

Let me tell you, it is hard to run towards Christ with a big, ball and chain of sin bound to our ankles.

So…The Lord has given me a vision, a picture of sorts, representative of my soul. The law is exposing my nooks and crannies.

Here’s a peek.

Five. Count them FIVE junk drawers in my kitchen.

This can’t be normal.

Two? Maybe. Three? O.K. But not five.

Here’s the deal, if you walk into my house you would THINK that I am a very organized person. And I am – most of the time. But certain areas get so overwhelming for me (hence all this stuff) that I don’t have a clue where to start. Or what to do with it all. I need help. I need fresh eyes to look at my junk and help me sort it out.

Did I mention how ashamed I am of all this junk? Heaven forbid you ask for a pen. “Ummm. I’ll get it. You stay there.”

So, as much as it hurts, I’m exposing my junk. Both in my kitchen and in my soul.

The Lord has revealed some hidden sin. I want to share it with you….

In my next blog.

I will be asking Him and asking you for fresh eyes to help me sort it all out.

In the meantime, ask the Lord to discern your error. What hidden sin does His Word long to expose? What presumptuous sin has dominion over you? Is an area out of control?

Any overwhelming junk drawers?

Oh, Lord declare us innocent.

“All discoveries of sin should drive us to the throne of grace, there to pray.” – M. Henry Love you all.

For the rest of our Psalm 19 study click here.