Heart-felt confession and thanksgiving

Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read Daniel 7:9-14 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).

‘I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession.’ Daniel 9:4

That sinking feeling, when you realise that you’ve done something wrong, and that you’ll have to admit it and apologise. I still remember a time this happened at work years ago, I had messed up and I had to talk to the person it had impacted, to admit it and to apologise. But what would they say? Would they be forgiving? Would they make me ‘pay for it’? Whatever the outcome, I have learnt that it is always better to talk to the person straight-away, to get it over and done with, admit what’s happened, make a sincere apology and clear the air. Waiting doesn’t make it any easier, and can even make it worse!

In our passage today, we listen in to Daniel praying to, or simply talking to, God. Daniel has realised what a dire situation he, and the whole of Israel, were in, and what did he do? Daniel ‘prayed to the Lord my God and made confession’ (v.4). He knew that the best thing to do once he’d realised that Israel had not been doing as God wanted was to turn to God himself. To admit what they had done (and not done) and to ask for God’s forgiveness. And the list of the wrong they have done is pretty comprehensive, and Daniel’s confession and repentance is evidently sincere.

But how often, if we think about how we’ve messed up, done what God wouldn’t want, or not done what God would want, do we say a quick “I’m sorry God” or “please forgive me!”? Daniel recognised that the judgement they were experiencing was what they deserved, and declares ‘we do not present our supplication before you on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of your great mercies’ (v.18). Daniel could only throw himself on God’s mercy, hoping that they could be forgiven.

We are blessed, because we know even more than Daniel about God and how He has wonderfully dealt with all our sin already in Jesus so that we know He can forgive us. But let this not allow us to take forgiveness for granted or accept God’s grace and forgiveness lightly. Let us take time to be more aware of where we can live as God would want and where we have fallen short; and when we become aware of this, let us turn back to God straight-away, with heart-felt confession and heart-felt thanksgiving.

Let us pray: Lord, we have sinned and done wrong. Please forgive us, and make us quicker to turn back to You when we recognise that we have not lived as you would want. Amen.

Natalie Print, Lay-member of St George’s, Chorley.