Psalms 79 and 80 are good examples of a repentant Israel crying out to God after He has disciplined them for deserting Him. The writer recounts how their enemies have wreaked havoc on the land and the people, and he asks God to turn His anger away from His people and towards those who do not acknowledge Him. He confesses that Israel is helpless without Him. And he says that when God delivers them, they will praise Him.

You know, this is really a pretty good model for repentance and confession for believers today. It’s good to acknowledge our pain before God, and to tell Him the circumstances of situation. If we are going through His discipline, it’s good to acknowledge that we are aware of it, and then ask forgiveness. It’s healthy to confess that we truly are helpless without Him. And we should always praise Him, but especially when we sense His presence and intervention in our lives.

Sure, God knows all of this before we speak it. He knows, because He is God. But speaking the words is a way of showing Him that our heart is truly seeking Him, and broken. It shows that we have a contrite heart, and God loves a heart that is contrite. When God sees that our heart is right, He will always respond with love. He yearns for the opportunity to bless His people.

I’m praying for you this week. I’m praying that God will be with you in new and exciting ways as we continue our time together in His Word.

Tomorrow we’ll finish Deuteronomy with the reading of chapter 34, and begin the book of Joshua.