Falling Short or Overshooting God

The way I read verses today is different from the past.  I now remind myself of God's true intentions toward his kids as I read. The way I used to read Proverbs 28:13 was with fear.

 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13

Presently, I find a verse like this delightful! It is an opportunity to advance. Because of  previous teaching and differences in interpretation, it is hard to get to the heart of what it means to sin. When a person approaches the Word of God based on love and that there is no darkness with God, simple truth is refreshing and beneficial.  For us, it is like untangling a mess of yarn  to be able to use to knit together something we can use.

The 'covering of sin' is a natural human reaction. Yet that means that even though sin is hidden, it is still lurking about. Acknowledging sin and tossing it aside does more than cover, it brings freedom to our hearts.

Sin is falling short and maybe even overshooting the mark of God (this is a biggie because sometimes subtly we think we can do more; remember the serpent?).  Regardless, missing out on God's best for us is not what we should want to do. It limits God and it is faulty thinking on our part. God doesn't control us either; it is free will choice whether we check in with him or not. Our goal should be to hit the center of his will for us. He wants us to live in advancing abundance.

We see no greater example of what sin can do than that of what happened in the garden of Eden with the first humans, Adam and Eve.When they messed up, God sought them out and explained what had happened because of the serpent's influence and the consequences of listening to those influences. In Genesis chapter 3 there are various reactions such as,  arrogance, guilt, and blame, exposed. When God called out to them, Adam answered:

“I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Genesis 3:1

We should never be afraid of God. We don't have to hide from him either.  Sadly, that is just what people do. If it gets bad enough they just rearrange their righteousness for themselves and maybe even their thoughts on the existence of God altogether. That is tragic!

God is a God of compassion and mercy, he loves us better than we can love ourselves. When we are having difficulties, the remedy is just a prayer away. Instead of hiding or making excuses we can ask for help from God and at the very moment we have peace that  things will work out.