Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Maybe you have been discouraged recently that all the people doing all the wrong things seem to be doing well, to be prospering and getting by with what they are doing. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” You have a choice, you can cover your sins and not prosper or you can confess your sins before God, forsake them, and have mercy. I don’t have mercy because I am innocent; I have mercy because I’m humble and I confess my sins.
The problem is that we think, “He that covereth his sin shall not prosper? Is that true?” Well, is it true that if I commit sin, I will not get by with it? Yes, it is true. Whether it is in the short term or the long term, I will not get by with sin because there is a God in Heaven and He is a God Who inhabits eternity. But, are there people who seem to be doing wrong and are getting paid for it? The answer is clearly and has always been, “Yes!” So, in what does a wicked person not prosper? Is this a financial proverb where if I do the wrong thing, I will go bankrupt? Clearly not. Is this a promise that if I cover my sin, I will ruin all my relationships? That may happen, but are there people who seem to have wonderful relationships based on lies? Yes, probably so. But, I will tell you that he that covers his sins will not prosper.
So, at what does a person hiding his sins not prosper? The answer is, “At hiding his sins.” You cannot hide your sins and get by with it because you will not prosper in that endeavor. A person who covers his sins is always known, maybe not to you, me, his wife or family, but he is known to God. You cannot prosper, succeed, or advance in covering your sins. The soul that sins will be punished. You cannot sin and get by with it.
The wonderful truth is that if I confess and forsake my sins, I will have mercy. I don’t receive mercy because I never sin. I do sin. I receive mercy because I confess my sin as sin to the One Who defines sin, and that is God. Do you want mercy today? If you do, then you need to agree with God about what is right and what is wrong, what is sin. If you want mercy today, you need to forsake those things which would bring you down. If you want mercy today, you can either cover your own sins or you can let them be covered by the work of God through Christ on the cross. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”