Denial

(Taken From The Intro To The Book Of Ezekiel In The Message Bible)

Denial refuses to acknowledge the destruction we have brought on ourselves. It shuts its eyes tight or looks the other way. It manages to act as if everything is going to be just find. It takes refuge in distractions and lies and fantasies.

I need to see the truth about myself. When I say "I need to see"...it means that I need a complete understanding of what I have done to bring this destruction on myself through my using. I need to also come to an understanding of what I am capable of. Denial robs me of this necessary vision I need in order to move forward in recovery and this new Life that Jesus is offering me.

The best example of breaking out of denial and not only admitting the truth, but acknowledging our part in it, is found in Psalm 51. Written by King David, this particular Psalm records his uncovering of an affair he had with another mans wife. Not only did King David have the affair, he also had the woman's husband, who was a soldier in David's army, killed. David's right hand man-to-the-throne, Nathan, exposed David and this sordid tale of sin. Now out in the open, David admitted his guilt and expressed his feelings of remorse and shame in the writing of Psalm 51. If you read this Psalm, you see that David takes us through his emotions, right into the act of confession, repentance, and restoration by the hand of God, as forgiveness was extended to David.

Psalm 51 (the Message Bible)

Generous in love-----God, give grace...

Huge in mercy --- wipe out my bad record

Scrub away my guilt
Soak out my sins in Your laundry.
I know how bad I've been

My sins are staring me down.

In these verses, we see that David fully understands that God alone is the only one who can clean him up and restore him. I guess the thing that grabs me the most is that here we have a kind....a ruler over a nation....a man who holds tremendous power is on his knees before God in complete recognition that God alone is the only one who can forgive his choices and actions that brought about this sin of adultery and murder.

You're the One I've violated, and you've seen it all

You've seen the full extent of my evil

You have all the facts before you

Whatever you decide about me is fair

I've been out of step with you for a long time,

In the wrong since before I was born

David refuses to shift blame to anyone else for his actions and behavior. In fact David has an incredible understanding of what it means to sin. He understands that his actions and behavior, as well as his thinking, was against God. He sinned against God....such sin demands an eternal payment. One that we, on our own, could never pay. That is why Jesus died on a cross. He became payment for our sin...past and present as well as future. He has given us the incredible gift of conviction, confession, repentance and the receiving of forgiveness.

What you are after, O'God, is truth from the inside out
Enter me, then conceive a new true life

David knew that God's chief aim in his life, as well as in each of us, is that we come to a saving knowledge of the truth. You see, truth is the real power afforded to us when we come to God broken and acknowledging our sin. Truth is the real power, given to us by God, that will break the hold of that old life we've been living under. The life of lies, half-truths, deception and manipulation. We no longer have to move under the direction and influence of the power that sin held over us. We are free.... Romans 6:14 tells us...."After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You have dominion over sin. You're now living in the freedom of God."

Take today's posting and chew on it.
Ask God to show you how this applies to your life.....

To reveal any areas that may have been covered over by your denial.
Then let God be God as you confess and turn to Him.

Now that's something to write home about.

God on you..

mbb