One Step Away
OPENING PRAYER:
Merciful Savior, I confess that I've let my failures convince me that I'm beyond Your reach. Shatter that lie with the truth of Your boundless grace. Remind me that no matter how far I've wandered, You are always just one step away.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
This verse from John's first letter was written to believers—people already in relationship with Jesus—as a reminder that confession and forgiveness aren't just for the moment of salvation but for the ongoing journey of faith. The promise is twofold: forgiveness (removing the guilt) and purification (cleansing from the pollution of sin). God's faithfulness to forgive isn't based on our worthiness but on His unchanging character.
REFLECT:
Pastor Jarred Peine shared something deeply personal that brings this whole message home. He said, "I get emotional a lot whenever I teach and preach or when I'm at a meeting or different things that happens. Sometimes I believe, it's only around God things. It's around God things, because I know what it was like and what I did. And I know that Jesus Christ rescued me, that He saved my marriage, that He saved me as a person, that He allowed us to create this family, these two amazing girls."
This is what genuine gratitude looks like—a man who remembers where he came from, what he did, and Who rescued him. Jarred's tears aren't tears of shame; they're tears of wonder that God's grace proved greater than his greatest failure. He went on to explain the shift that happened in his life: "Instead of me trying to fix my symptoms, of saying I got to try harder, I just had to go to God and say, I'm broken. I don't know why I do the things that I do. I do the things I don't want to do, and I don't do the things that I want to do. Like Paul said that, and it's so true in my life. I had to go to Him and say, clean my heart, man. Allow me to confess to other people."
This is the beautiful conclusion to our week-long journey through confession and healing. Jarred didn't get free by making better plans or downloading more resources. He got free by admitting his brokenness, confessing to God and to trusted people, and allowing God to do heart surgery instead of symptom management. And then he said something profound: "I've experienced freedom from that. Freedom from not hiding, not pretending that everything's okay, but getting a chance to talk about it. And I want that freedom for you as well."
That's the invitation at the end of this devotional week. God wants that freedom for you. No matter what you've done, no matter how many times you've failed, no matter how unworthy you feel—God is one step away. He's not waiting for you to get your act together. He's waiting for you to stop concealing and start confessing, to offer Him your broken spirit and let Him create a clean heart.
APPLY:
This is the day to act. You've spent six days reflecting on confession, humility, brokenness, and God's amazing grace. Now it's time to take that one step back to God. Is there something you've been concealing that needs to be confessed—to God, to another person, or both? Don't wait for another transcript in the mail, another forced exposure, another year of carrying the weight. Choose confession today. Write out your confession to God. Speak it out loud. Call that trusted friend. Take the step. God is waiting, not with condemnation, but with arms open wide.
I WILL STATEMENT:
I will choose confession over concealment.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Father, thank You for these seven days of wrestling with Your Word and Your truth. Thank You that You love me enough to confront me and that You love me enough to forgive me. I choose confession over concealment. I choose Your freedom over my hiding. I take that one step back to You, knowing You've been waiting all along. In Jesus' name, Amen.
PRAYER REQUEST:
Share your prayer request and pray for others.