Brought Up Short

This is not a discussion about someone who is raised to be short!  That’s determined by genetics.  This is something different.

Let me explain.  This morning I had a very selfish thought (not the first, nor will it be the last, no doubt).  But, I was immediately “brought up short”, as the saying goes.  I was made aware that it was basically sinful and needed to be confessed.  Which I did right away in recognition thereof.  Next up came my Scripture readings and devotions.  Wouldn’t you know it would be in Psalm 51 where David cries out to God about his own sin?

I was then reminded that Jesus cleaned out the temple early in His ministry.  It was fine for awhile, but then He had to repeat it at the close of His time here.  That goes to show that once is not enough.  It’s more than enough when done with an honest, repentant heart in first believing in the Lord (Romans 10:9) for salvation and a relationship with Him.  But, Paul tells us that the flesh and the spirit are in a constant battle (Romans 7) while we’re still on earth.  Confessing is like cleaning out the house yet again because it continually gets dirty.  As did the temple.

It’s why David – called a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) – had to come before God and cry out for forgiveness when his sin was pointed out to him.  Thus, he asked:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me; cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.”  (Psalm 51:10-11)

We’re often too busy asking for something to notice where we messed up.  Or, we’re too proud.  But, who’s perfect?  Only the Savior.  He’ll keep working on us, but we have to be willing to admit our frailties, our humanness, our poor choices.  Our sins.

I imagine I’m not the only one to have been “brought up short”.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ”  (1 John 1:9)