14 Trinity – Thursday
This weeks devotions: Sunday – Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday
Daily Devotional Materials
Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity
– Thursday –
Devotion
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord;and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.
– Psalm 32:5.
What sins should we confess? Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those which we do not at the time realize and know, as we do in the Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer and in the General Confession. For there is not a single commandment of God which we do not transgress daily. And David prays: “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou me from secret faults” (Psalm 19:12). And when we have offended and grieved our neighbor, we should confess our sins to him and ask his pardon before we go to Confession. He who is not willing to do this, thereby clearly shows that before God also he does not truly repent of his sin. What does the Savior say? “Go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother!” (Matthew 5:24). But perchance we know and feel in our heart some particular sin which above others weighs upon our heart and burdens our conscience. Then it is very good, wholesome, and beneficial to go to Private Confession, that is, to go to our confessor, and privately tell him our sins, get spiritual advice and consolation from him, and receive absolution for those particular sins. This greatly strengthens our faith and comforts our hearts. It is to be regretted that Private Confession, where absolution is spoken to each person individually, has fallen into such disuse. For the sake of our infirmity it is important for every one of us to hear and truly to take to heart these words: “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2).
PRAYER. – My God, help me by Thy Holy Spirit that I may never defend or deny my transgressions of Thy holy Law, nor cover up or misrepresent any sin out of carnal pride and obstinacy, but that I may freely, frankly, and penitently confess my sins. And then let me obtain mercy according to Thy Word, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Bible Reading
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus
Additional Material
- FAITH – Article from The Orthodox Lutheran – January 1954
- Source materials used for these Daily Devotions