Defending Your Faith Network

My sin, oh God, is ever before me. It cries out from the depths of my soul. My heart is so very heavy. My heart is sick with love for thee Father, yet, my heart is sick with shame and dread, and yes, with great fear.

My heart is sick, knowing that I have disappointed you. I have dishonored you Lord. If only my thoughts were but known, your Holy Name would be blasphemed and all your work would be made of none effect in the lives of those around me.

Please don't leave me! Please don't turn away from me Lord! Please don't forsake me! For you alone are Holy and altogether Righteous and cannot even look upon sin. Please do not take your precious Holy Spirit from me! He alone is my strength and my guide, my best friend, my counselor, my discernment, my precious companion in life. He is life to me Lord.

Please do not let sin over take me, nor come near. Please don't let sin separate us. Do not lead me into temptation Lord, but deliver me from evil. For I have failed to love thee with the perfect and righteous love you seek and so richly deserve. I have failed to worship you acceptably in the beauty of holiness, and righteousness, and obedience.

You alone Father have I loved above all else. You know that I love you Lord, above all else. Yet, against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in thy sight. I have failed to honor you and obey your Word hidden deep within my heart, brought to my remembrance by your Holy Spirit.

I have failed to take every thought captive to the mind of Christ. 

You alone have I wounded above all else. My Lord and my Savior, have I nailed thee to the cross once more? Was it I who called out with the scornful, away with him, crucify him? Crucify him! I will not have this man to reign over me! I will do what is right in my own eyes! I will exalt myself above this man! Let his blood be upon me and upon my dear children! Crucify!

Oh my God and my Eternal Savior, please forgive me for using our relationship for gain, and comfort, and ease. For you are not like the gods of my people. You are not accepting, tolerant, and understanding of sin. You are not an unrighteous judge that overlooks sin, that winks at sin, that just forgives sin, that does not judge, and punish sin.

You are altogether righteous in judging sin. Judge my sin Father!
 
Be righteous and Holy still, that there be no shadow of turning in You.

Be Righteous and Holy still. Exalt your throne, oh God, above the heavens by being Faithful and True to lay this charge to none other; for I have sinned against thee, and my back is made for stripes as the sparks fly upward. I was conceived in sin and trained in evil. I delight in darkness within my deadly lower nature; but there is within me Another, who draws me into the light. The bright and morning Light with healing in His wings. With forgiveness in His heart. With nail marks on His hands and feet and a wound in His side. With a broken heart that melted within Him, for He came unto His own, and they received Him not.

How can I ask you to forgive me?

How can I ask you to lay my sin upon your dear Son? The Son of your love, in whom you are so well pleased. How could I be so craven to ask you to wound Him for me? I cannot! I will not! I would rather die the death in my sin than have Christ put to an open shame again for me.

But, praise God, for the once for all offering upon that cross!

Thank you Father! Thank you for Jesus! For His heart and love, for His obedience that day! Thank you, that it pleased you to wound Him for me, so I don't have to ask you to. 

Thank you Father for your dear Son. Without Him I would have no part with you at all. Thank you Father! Thank you for Jesus! Lord, you are the air that I breathe. You know that I love you Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength! Be merciful to me Lord, for I am a foolish and sinful man.

Standing in your grace and mercy alone, by faith alone,

donald paul mosteller 

Psalm 31

The Lord A Fortress in Adversity

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹ In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed;

Deliver me in Your righteousness.

² Bow down Your ear to me,

Deliver me speedily;

Be my rock of refuge,

A fortress of defense to save me.

³ For You are my rock and my fortress;

Therefore, for Your name’s sake,

Lead me and guide me.

⁴ Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,

For You are my strength.

⁵ Into Your hand I commit my spirit;

You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

⁶ I have hated those who regard useless idols;

But I trust in the Lord.

⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,

For You have considered my trouble;

You have known my soul in adversities,

⁸ And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;

You have set my feet in a wide place.

⁹ Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;

My eye wastes away with grief,

Yes, my soul and my body!

¹⁰ For my life is spent with grief,

And my years with sighing;

My strength fails because of my iniquity,

And my bones waste away.

¹¹ I am a reproach among all my enemies,

But especially among my neighbors,

And am repulsive to my acquaintances;

Those who see me outside flee from me.

¹² I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;

I am like a broken vessel.

¹³ For I hear the slander of many;

Fear is on every side;

While they take counsel together against me,

They scheme to take away my life.

¹⁴ But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

¹⁵ My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,

And from those who persecute me.

¹⁶ Make Your face shine upon Your servant;

Save me for Your mercies’ sake.

¹⁷ Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;

Let the wicked be ashamed;

Let them be silent in the grave.

¹⁸ Let the lying lips be put to silence,

Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

¹⁹ Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You

In the presence of the sons of men!

²⁰ You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence

From the plots of man;

You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion

From the strife of tongues.

²¹ Blessed be the Lord,

For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!

²² For I said in my haste,

“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications

When I cried out to You.

²³ Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!

For the Lord preserves the faithful,

And fully repays the proud person.

²⁴ Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart,

All you who hope in the Lord.