Mercy in the Light

Aug 29 2025 - Eric Buresh

“He who covers his sins will not prosper, 
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” 
— Proverbs 28:13 

Let us not trifle with sin. Sin is any act or thought, whether it be morally good or morally bad, that we do in pursuit of our own way (the path of spiritual death) rather than dependently following Jesus in His Way (the path of spiritual life). The world may paint sin as a trinket, and the devil may whisper it is no big deal—but to the soul, sin is a grief, a burden, a sickness leading to spiritual death. And yet, how often do we wear masks before the Almighty? How often do we cover our sin as Adam tried to do with fig leaves, forgetting that the all-seeing eye of God pierces the darkest corners of our heart? 

The man who covers his sin may fool others, perhaps even himself for a time, but he does not fool God. And what is the fruit of such concealment? “He will not prosper,” says the Word. Not necessarily in worldly things—though often even that is true—but more grievously, in the soul. Hiding sin chokes prayer, dulls the conscience, and silences joy. The Spirit grieves where sin is coddled. A man cannot run the race of faith with shackles of guilt upon his feet. Please do not let secret sin fester like a wound beneath the surface. 

There is healing in confession! What release for the soul that dares to be honest with God! When the sinner comes with trembling lips and says, “Lord, I have sinned,” he finds not a judge ready to strike but a Father running to embrace. Confession is not the mere recital of wrong—it is the heart bowing low before God, laying aside self-defense and throwing itself entirely upon divine compassion. And praise be to God—“whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Not might have mercy but will. This is the unshakable promise of the God who cannot lie. 

But let no one mistake confession for mere lip service. The verse binds together confession and forsaking. True repentance walks away from the pigsty and returns to the Father’s house. It does not linger in Sodom while pretending to long for Zion. To renounce sin is to make war against it. It is to drag it from the shadows and declare, “No longer shall you reign over me, for Christ is Lord.” Do you struggle? So did Paul. Do you fall? So did David. But both rose through repentance, and so will you, if you cling to Christ. 

So, examine yourself. Be quick to confess, quick to forsake, quick to believe that He is the Way of Life (not your way). Do not let the dust of unconfessed sin settle on your soul. Keep short accounts with God. Maybe today will be the day you cast aside the cloak of pride and step into the light. There, in that light, you will find not judgment but joy, not condemnation but cleansing, not wrath but the welcoming arms of grace.