whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Interlude
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Interlude
6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory.
Interlude
8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
Joe and I did an inventory of the weeds we've let sprout up and grow in our lives. It was humbling. It was hard. We each listed our own on paper and then prayed and asked for forgiveness of the Lord and of each other. Throughout our 3 years of marriage we've done this a few times. I think the thing that makes it work is that we do this when things are "going well". We don't wait for problems to develop because it's not a productive exercise when you're caught up in the emotion of the moment. We decide to do it on a regular run-of-the-mill evening so that we can have a calm and somewhat objective look, and it's suprising how easily we fool ourselves into thinking we're doing a great job and we're not making ANY mistakes and we're SO SUPER AWESOME! But then to start digging leads you on a rabbit trail of seeing all the things we've let slide, all of the ways we've compromised and how it has effected our relationship with God and our quality of life day to day. We're not going looking for troubles, but we are keeping ourselves in check and trying to prevent the pride that can easily erode a marriage and the important relationship with our Saviour. When we root out the weeds, the crops can grow more bountifully.
2 comments:
what a beautiful way to protect your marriage. glad you've found such a healthy way to keep it all in check
You are a wise, wise lady. I like you.
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