LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Did you know that some of the hardships you go through in your life may be caused by your own sin? Now not all of them to be sure. But many times the difficulties we are in are God’s way of disciplining us so that we repent and returned to obedience to him.

Such was the case in the nation of Israel under the rule of Samuel. The nation is being besieged by the Philistines and they captured and took away the ark of the covenant. The people of Israel were hurting, but they finally started to come to their senses that their sin of rebellion against God was the cause of it. So they began to cry out to God in first Samuel chapter 6 and God started to restore them. The ark of the covenant was returned. And with it the hearts of the people were returning to the Lord. Then in Chapter 7 we read this:

And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only. Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.”

I see a very practical and simple application of truth from the use of the phrase “on that day” in this passage. When the people were reminded of their sin they did not wait for a period of time to confess it and make it right with God. They did it on the day that they acknowledged  it.

So many times when we know we have been wrong or have sinned we postpone acknowledging it and confessing it before the Lord. We certainly postpone confessing it to other people who have been hurt by it.  We are a proud people and we don’t like to admit that we have been wrong and that we need to be forgiven. But covering up our sin only adds to the distress of whatever circumstances were caused by it. But when we discover that God is working through the circumstances to bring us to a point of forgiveness so that we can accept his grace and love and be restored we should act on it immediately.

That’s what Israel did. On the day that they were asked if they were truly returning to the Lord with all their heart and ready to sever all connection to their sin they poured themselves out before the Lord and confessed. And God brought peace to their land and to their individual hearts.

God will do the same for us when we confess our sin the moment we are made aware of it. His grace will wash it away. His love will overflow into us. Our relationship with him and with those who have been hurt will be restored.

Stop trying to protect yourself from additional pain by burying the sin. Open up your heart and confess what you have done on the day that you are made aware of it and you will find the restoration of peace and contentment.

Pastor John