"The godly man is a good counselor because he is just and fair and knows right from wrong" (Psalm 37:30,31).
Mary had gone to several psychologists and psychiatrists, and even religious leaders, seeking help, but no one had been able to help her. Consequently, she had been committed to a mental institution. Now, in desperation her family had come to seek help.
It did not take long to discover the root of her problem - she was plagued with a deep sense of guilt. Mary had been sexually promiscuous as a teenager, and prior to that she had been violated by her step-father who had taken advantage of her when she was a very young girl.
All of this tormented her greatly, but no one had taken her to the Word of God to help her understand that she did not have to carry the burden of her own sin. There is forgiveness. Scripture teaches that if we confess our sins, God is waiting to forgive and cleanse us.
There are three things we need to know about confession. First, the word "confess" means, in the original Greek language, "to agree with." If I agree with God concerning my immorality, stealing, dishonesty, whatever it may be, I am saying, "Lord, I know it is sin." Second, we know from Scripture that Christ has paid the penalty for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross. And third, we must repent, which means we change our attitude toward that sin. This results in a change of action. When we do this, we have the promise that what we confess, God forgives, and He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
When Mary understood the truth of God's promise, she and I knelt together and by faith she surrendered all of her guilt and frustration to Christ, who died for her, and she claimed God's forgiveness.
Only God could liberate her from the darkness and gloom of Satan's kingdom and bring her into kingdom of light - the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary sensed God's immediate liberation and began to rejoice in the assurance of forgiveness and eternal life with Christ. She became a radiant, joyful and victorious witness for our Savior.
TODAY'S ACTION POINT: Not only will I seek the counsel of godly men and women, but I will, with God's help, become a godly person myself. I will saturate my mind with the truth of His holy Scripture, so that I will know what is right and wrong according to the Word of God, and I will then be able to give wise counsel to others.
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