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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
Openly acknowledge your sins to one another, and pray for each other, so that you may be healed (James 5:16).
The Talmud says, "Great is repentance, for it brings healing to the world." Ya'akov (James) appears to be dealing with something more modest—healing for individuals—but he agrees that repentance is essential. When we confess our sins, we accept God's verdict on them and renounce them. We assume responsibility for them. In God's plan, this action—repentance—prepares the way for healing. David said, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away because of my groaning all day long....When I acknowledged my sin to you, when I stopped concealing my guilt, and said, 'I will confess my offenses to Adonai'; then you forgave the guilt of my sin" (Psalm 32:3,5).
Many, of course, are ill without harboring unconfessed sin, but modern medicine has recognized the connection between emotional and physical wholeness. Likewise, the Scriptures speak of healing as physical, emotional, and spiritual. Confession restores us to inner wholeness, which is often reflected in outward wholeness.
What about "healing to the world"—of which the Talmud speaks? When we confess corporately, as Daniel did (Daniel 9:4-19), acknowledging not only our own sins, but also those of our people, we open the door for healing on a corporate scale. Such repentance is truly great!
...acknowledge not only my own sins, but also those of my people, and ask for God's forgiveness.
RR
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
