Turning sorrow into happiness

Psalm 30:5,11 (NCV)

His anger lasts only a moment, but his kindness lasts for a lifetime.  Crying may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.  You changed my sorrow into dancing.  You took away my clothes of sadness, and clothed me in happiness.

We all experience the vicissitudes of crying, then joy; sorrow, then dancing, and sadness, then happiness.  Note that the negative emotions (crying, sorrow, sadness) are human emotions while the positive emotions come from the Lord.  While these verses may speak about life’s troubles that produce crying, sorrow and sadness, I wish to focus on the consequences of unconfessed sin that produces these same emotions.  Yet, realize the blessing and provision that the Lord gives you if/when you confess your sin.  You are not only forgiven, but also reap the positive results of His love expressed through kindness, unmerited favor, and acceptance.   

The Lord will get angry when you sin.  The anger of the Lord is described in several parts of the Bible; to list a few---Numbers 25:4, Judges 3:8, II Kings 24:20, Psalm 2:5, Jeremiah 52:3, John 3:36, Romans 1:18, Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 3:6, and several verses in Revelation.  Yet His anger does not last.  God is a God of love who is always willing to forgive and forget (Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:32, 10:17).  His kindness lasts for a lifetime.  The Hebrew word for kindness is actually translated as “favor, delight, acceptance”.  Think about the wonderful truth that God bestows His favor and acceptance upon you for all of your life when you give your life and will to Him and confess your sins when you commit them. 

While Psalm 30:5 and 11 does not say so, other verses do say that you must confess your sins to the Lord in order to receive His forgiveness and “favor”.  Here is a list from James Fowler (http://www.christinyou.net/pages/confession.html):

General verses about confession:

Leviticus 5:5 - "he shall confess that in which he has sinned"

Numbers 5:7 - "he shall confess his sins..., make restitution..." Proverbs 28:13 - "he who confesses and forsakes his transgressions will find compassion." Acts 19:18 - "many kept coming and confessing and disclosing their practices." James 5:16 - "confess your sins to one another" I John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."


Examples of confession:
Psalm 32:5 - "I acknowledge my sin to Thee...I will confess my transgressions to the Lord."
Psalm 38:18 - "I confess my iniquity"
Isaiah 6:5 - "Woe is me...I am a man of unclean lips"
Luke 15:21 - "I have sinned against heaven and in your sight"
Luke 18:13 - "God, be merciful to me, the sinner!"

After sincere confession of your sins, you will experience the kind of positive emotions that Psalm 30:5 and 11 speak about.  What indescribable blessings to think about this Christmas season.  No wonder Christ’s coming is good news of great joy to all humankind.  Do you believe in the miracle of Christmas?  Celebrate it.