A government official visiting a prison... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Proverbs 28:13

A government official visiting a prison was accompanied by the governor on his tour. One young inmate stood out through his well tended appearance. He seemed to come from a decent background. The official asked the governor, "Why is that young man here?" - "He forged some documents and cheated his boss out of a large sum of money."
The two went on, leaving the young man behind. But he had heard the question and the answer. That set him thinking. Was that really the reason why he had landed there, or was the true cause elsewhere?
He clearly remembered that as a boy he had once had to pay a bill for his father. He had been given a signed receipt and a small sum in cash as a discount, which he had kept for himself. His father hadn't noticed. That was his first case of dishonesty. He had felt somewhat uncomfortable, but had not properly recognised the guilt involved.
In the course of time, his greed for money increased, and by deceitful means he misappropriated smaller and larger sums of money. One day, however, it came to light, and he landed in prison. It was just one case of many!
What is to be done when someone yields to the temptation to do wrong? Confess the guilt before God and leave off doing wrong! Otherwise one becomes more and more involved in sin. If necessary, the guilt should be admitted before those who suffered as a result. That may be a hard pathway, but whoever has put things right with God, has Him on his side.
Today's reading: 1 Samuel 28