Putting Up or Putting Away?

Being married to a man who is 6’ 5” tall can be very interesting. Not only is he a man, and therefore perceives things differently than a woman would, but he literally sees things from a different height. On numerous occasions I have been looking for something in my kitchen and asked David if he has seen it or put it away. Often his response is to reach up on the top of my upper cabinets and hand the item I have been searching for to me. On occasion, when he is not home, I have resorted to climbing onto a stepstool to search the upper cabinets myself. Because I cannot reach or see those cabinet tops, it would never occur to me to put something up there.  To David this is natural and simple.

Sometimes this can be a little bit frustrating. I am not the most organized housekeeper. (I am not the least organized either.) I do like for things to be put back into the proper place, but this does not always occur. In my family’s defense, they do not always know where I consider that proper place to be. On more than one occasion, when my husband has reached for an item from the cabinet tops, I have told him, “Putting something up is not putting it away!”

For some reason I have recently thought of that statement. I wonder how often I spiritually put things up rather than putting them away. This is something that can be extremely important when it comes to sin in our lives. Psalm 51 was written by King David after he had been confronted about his hidden sin. Until this time, David had been putting this sin out of his mind and not dealing with it. It was like putting it on a shelf where he could ignore that the events had ever taken place. Once Nathan the prophet came, David had to bring his sin off the shelf and deal with it before the Lord. Only then could he put it far away from him forever.

Psalm 51 gives us a great guideline on how to deal with sin in our own lives. The first 11 verses ask God for mercy and forgiveness while simultaneously acknowledging the sin and admitting guilt. When we have done wrong, our tendency is often to avoid God’s presence. Although the Holy Spirit brings conviction, we should never see this as condemnation. It is encouraging that David asked for mercy and then acknowledged his wrongdoing. He was guilty of no small sin, if any sin could be considered small. Yet even then, David knew that he was approaching a loving, merciful God who was waiting to extend forgiveness and restore righteousness. Like David we can approach that same merciful God with any sin that is in our lives.

After this discourse of seeking forgiveness and cleansing while acknowledging his disobedience to God’s law, David comes to the point of requesting restoration. ^“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:12 AMP) When God restores our lives to right standing with Him, joy will be a natural outcome and willingness to obey will be the desire of our hearts. Although we may have run from and hidden the sin for a long time, the release of this burden and freshness of forgiveness is incomparable.

The release that David experienced through forgiveness had to be expressed. The automatic progression of this expression led to sharing with others, ^“Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You.” (Verse 13) and praising God. “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.” (Verse 15) These should always be the outward expressions of forgiveness in our lives too.

Like David, we must understand that God does not want our good works to make up for past wrongs. Although we may need to make some things right with others and there may be consequences to our actions, we cannot sacrifice our way back into righteousness with God. A repentant heart, that is willing to receive God’s love, is the only receptacle for forgiveness in our lives. ^“For You delight not in sacrifice, or else would I give it; You find no pleasure in burnt offering.  My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.” (Verses 16–17)

Are you dealing with any unconfessed sin, today? If so, follow the pattern that David set when he wrote Psalm 51. God will be faithful to forgive, and you can have joy and freedom. Put that sin away from you forever. You can then lead others to that same freedom and joy.

^“If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].” (1 John 1:9 AMP)