Unclogging the Pipes

 Unclogging the Pipes

Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me.Psalm 66:16-20

What sobering verses! When we come to God with a burden or request, oh, how we want him to hear us and answer. In today’s verses David gives clear instruction: when we’re crying out to God for help, we should first come to him in confession and ask him to cleanse our hearts. Then he will pay attention and will not ignore our prayer.

This can be illustrated by a piece of transitional pipe that is stuffed with brown Play-Doh and held to my ear. Sin clogs communication between God and us—the way the Play-Doh clogged the pipe, keeps us from hearing God, and keeps him from hearing us. But when we ask his Spirit to search our hearts and show us anything that displeases him, he will reveal what we need to confess. When we bring that sin to the cross, Jesus is faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, as he promises in 1 John 1:9. Out goes the Play-Doh representing our sin—and the paths of communication are open again! Now we can proclaim with David: Praise God, who paid attention to my prayer, who answered me from his holy hill!

LORD, I ask you, search my heart. Shine your light on my sin. Forgive me. I am crying out to you for help. Thank you for hearing me, answering the cry of my heart, and continuing to show your unfailing love in my life.

EITHER SIN IS WITH YOU, LYING ON YOUR SHOULDERS, OR IT IS LYING ON CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD. NOW IF IT IS LYING ON YOUR BACK, YOU ARE LOST; BUT IF IT IS RESTING ON CHRIST, YOU ARE FREE, AND YOU WILL BE SAVED. NOW CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT.Martin Luther (1483–1546)