Sabbath Psalms - Hidden Faults

Psalm 19:12        Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 

I was once invited to teach two English Literature classes in my youngest daughter's High school class. It all came about when Lauren's teacher referred to Britain as 'England.' Lauren took offense at this, and reminded her teacher that Britain is made up of several nations, which includes Scotland. Thankfully, her teacher accepted what Lauren had to say and, in the ensuing conversation, I somehow got volunteered to teach two classes about Scotland's contribution to English literature, especially the works of Robert Burns, one of the world's greatest poets.

Today’s verse from the psalmist reminded me of something that Burns once wrote. The psalmist writes about hidden faults, and how each of us are blind to the constant mistakes that we make. In the past, ministers would call these 'sins of omission,' – in other words, the things that we neglect to say or do, as well as the errors that we unconsciously commit. In one of his poems, Burns put it this way:

'O the pow'r that God wad gie us, to see ourselves as ithers see us.'

(O the power that God would give us, to see ourselves as others see us)

Sometimes, we are blind to the sins we commit and the mistakes that we habitually make. If only we had the power to see ourselves making those mistakes, which others around us often notice.

Perhaps today, we could all make a conscious effort to watch what we do or say; to be careful about the witness to Christ we project, and to be aware that we are not perfect all of the time. Maybe then, at the end of the day, as we make our confessions and give thanks to God in prayer, we will also remember to ask forgiveness for our hidden faults.

Point to ponder: How do others see and experience the faith we project?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we unknowingly hurt other people and offend You. Sometimes the things we say and do, or the things we neglect to say or do, cause us to disappoint others and sin against You. Help us to recognize our personal mistakes and give us the ways, as well as the means, to humbly compensate for our sins of omission. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

 

Short devotion: An Invitation - Acts 26:29

 

Acts 26:29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” (NIV)

 

I love the genial attitude of Paul when he is being interrogated by the local Roman rulers in Acts chapter 26. He knows that his life is on the line, but instead of remaining fearfully silent or pleading for forgiveness, he shares his faith in Christ and hopes that those who listen to him will come to know Jesus, too. It’s not an act of staunch defiance; it’s a simple profession of faith which he compassionately expresses.

 

I think we can all learn a lot from the apostle about how we can share our faith. He doesn’t compel anyone to comply to what he believes, instead Paul offers an invitation to join Christ’s Kingdom to the rulers and their courtiers who are listening to his testimony. The apostle truly wants them to accept Christ as their Savior, but he does not insist that they must do this. He respects their individual freedom to choose what they want for themselves; all that Paul is doing is being the Gospel messenger that Jesus called him to fulfill.

 

As Christians, we witness to Christ every day through our words and deeds. Sometimes we say and do the right things which may complement our faith; on other occasions, our bad behavior and ill-chosen words can repel those around us from knowing Christ, especially when we try to force our beliefs on others who think, live, and do things differently. Remember, Paul did not coerce Agrippa and Festus into becoming believers; he sincerely invited them to consider it.

 

Q: How do I project my faith to others? Am I invitational or confrontational?

 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we were invited to have faith in You through other people who followed Your way. We know that we are flawed and imperfect, so we ask for Your guidance to help invite others to faith through compassion, grace, and, above all, love. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You check out the church website at www.erinpres.org to see what’s currently happening there.