Confessing

TITLE: Confessing
DATE: February 13, 2019
TEXT: 1 John 1: 8-10 – ESV -  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I just finished reading an article where 21-year-old Laura MacLean of Scotland called herself a noob.

Now I had never heard the word noob before and  wasn’t about to repeat it until I found out what it meant or stood for. Well, I’m pleased to share it s a slang term, a variation of the word newbie. It usually refers to someone who is a newcomer, a naïve individual who is inexperienced and has made a silly, foolish or obvious mistake.

Well, folks, I guess Laura MacLean of Scotland does qualify as a noob…at least according to the story which has been making the rounds on the internet.  If you haven’t heard, let me share the highpoints of her story.

A few weeks ago Laura had an on-line job interview with the University Recruitment team of Microsoft. It was a golden opportunity and she was fully prepared when the interview time of 11:00 AM came around.

Only nobody called at 11 AM. Laura waited a reasonable period of time and then called her contact number. She wondered if Skype was working as nobody had called her for the February 18th interview. The kindly soul at Microsoft informed Laura that her interview was, indeed,  scheduled for February 18th.

Laura replied, “It is February 18th.”  

That’s when Microsoft informed her she was one month early. It was January, not February.

It was a terribly embarrassing situation. Now at this point, Laura could have done a number of things. She could have tried to cover her mistake and pretend she had been joking; she could have denied her error, or she
could have confessed she was a noob, have a good laugh and continue on from there. Well, you already know which way Laura went. She made her confession.

And Microsoft…how does Microsoft feel? A recruitment spokesman says, don’t write Laura off…“one thing we look for in candidates is the capacity for ‘recognizing our mistakes.’”

The Lord would agree. When Adam and Eve first sinned, they tried to hide what they had done; Cain buried the murdered body of his brother to cover his sin’ David sent a man to his death so his transgression wouldn’t go public.

But the Lord isn’t looking for liars, or cover-up artists. Using John, the Lord tells us:,  “ If you confess your sins, I will be faithful and just to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.”

You see, the Lord Jesus came into this world to seek and save the lost. To that end He carried our sins and died for us on Calvary’s cross. Now, all who recognize Him as their risen Savior and believe in His blood-bought atonement are saved.

But if we say we have no sins, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…and the Lord can’t save those who maintain they’ve done nothing from which to be saved.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we confess our many sins and rejoice in the forgiveness won for us by the Savior. May others join us is humble acknowledgment of their shortcomings and the Savior’s success in saving them. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
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Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written John Johnson for Newser on January 25, 2019.  Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: http://www.newser.com/story/270403/she-logged-in-for-microsoft-job-interview-one-problem.html

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers