It is funny how, when preaching, some of the insights come the week later!  I was pondering how important it is to repent. But, not like the Samaritan woman (I have no husband!) -  to obfuscate, but clearly confess your sin.  James 5:16 states that we confess so that we may be healed (see also  1 John 1:9).  I suspect that some, including myself, being afraid of rejection, will in a round about way confess their sins (“I have no husband” was essentially factual), and could relegate ourselves to a future of coming to the “well” at noon in shame and guilt and never get free (my message can be downloaded at Gatheringcc.org.)….  One step to freedom from ensnaring or addicting sins is clear and accurate confession.  There is no sin but such is common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13).   The covenant community of forgiven sinners is there for each of us….

These days I ponder David’s confession after his great sin. “I have sinned against the LORD! Against You only have I sinned!”  No rationalizations, no excuses!  Simple and concise and directed to the ONE.

“Simplicity, however, marks David’s confession… and precisely this simplicity makes it commendable rather then defective…
The words are very few, just as in the case of the publican in the Gospel of Luke [esv: Luke 18:13]. But that is a good sign of a thoroughly broken spirit… There is no excuse, no cloaking, no palliation of the sin. There is no searching for a loophole,… no pretext put forward, no human weakness pleaded.  He acknowledges his guilt openly candidly, and without prevarication.”
(quoted from Dale Ralph Davis, Focus on the Bible commentary on 2 Samuel 12)