As I mentioned in my sermon Sunday, this week’s topic for this devotion is going to focus on the pain that sin sometimes brings.  David says in Psalm 32, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night you hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer . . . Many are the woes of the wicked.”  Sin can do a number on you.  And this is not just a Old Testament teaching.  As in the sermon, I quoted from James 5 about confessing your sins to each other. But if you read the whole context, James is talking about healing and some of the problems the readers needed healing from were caused by sin.  Starting in 5:13, James writes about praying for healing for those who are sick.  He mentions forgiven sins in vs 15, “If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”  Then it goes to verse 16, “Therefore (in light of the previous verses about praying for healing and forgiveness), confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  He then ends his book a few verses later talking about how we should help those who have wandered into sins.  Sins can cause physical ailments.  The Bible does NOT equate that all physical ailments are caused by sin, but sins can cause ailments.  This is just one reason why we need to make sure that our sins are confessed and we have a right relationship with God.  Thankfully we all have the promise of 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”