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Read Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil.

Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
    your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
    as in the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
    my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
    will not reach them.
You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
    or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Go Deeper

“I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.” This is a common refrain these days. Is it because everything truly is fine; we have no worries, no problems, no regrets? Hmmmm…don’t think so! Our community is divided by politics, perspective, and purpose – not fine. Our bodies are burdened by ailments, disease, and exhaustion – not fine. Our minds are bombarded with conflicting information, false truths, and tempting escapes – not fine. Our hearts are heavy with fear, failure, and isolation – not fine.

Then, why do we claim a constant state of “fine?” Why do we hold the pain inside ourselves and proceed in the path of pointless perseverance? What is the alternative?

David offers the alternative in Psalm 32. Many theologians believe David wrote this Psalm in response to his betrayal with Bathsheba, in recognition of his sin. Verse 3-4 states, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” When David held the truth of his actions and the pain of sin inside himself, he was not fine! He was unable to function, spending his time constantly frustrated with emotional/mental/spiritual aching. He was physically drained from the guilt and shame. But then, in verse 5, we see the alternative to false “fineness.” David proclaims, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Words hold power.  What we hold on to, holds on to us!  When we keep our pain, our fear, and our sin inside us, those are the things that consume us. They are too big, too terrible, too shameful to share, so we simply say, “I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.” But, instead, we can acknowledge our sin and stop covering up our shortcomings. When we admit our pain, our fear, and our sin, the Holy Spirit’s power takes hold of us and ushers us back into the hope, love, and forgiveness of God.

Questions

  1. When someone close to you asks, “How are you doing?,” what is your response?
  2. David describes the physical and mental effects of keeping his pain inside. What are some ways keeping pain, fear, and sin inside yourself affects you physically, mentally, and/or emotionally?
  3. What pain, fear, or sin are you holding on to? Why?

Watch this

This song by Matthew West addresses the power of confessing the truth. 

Truth Be Told” by Matthew West

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2 thoughts on “Psalm 32”

  1. Our choices are to conceal or confess our sins, for all fall short of the glory of God. One drains our life away, one is life-giving. We can either run away from or run to the Father, resulting in bondage or freedom. I’m intrigued by v6 as David urges praying to the Lord while he may be found. There are definite times when our God is near and accessible to us, and other times our sin & hardness of heart drives us away from Him. I’ve experienced the weightless grace of forgiveness and also the heavy burden of guilt & shame. Today I will use the opportunity to draw close to God and know his peace.

  2. Verses 1-2.
    Blessed means happy. (Not stuff and fortune)
    Transgressions means the breach of or the breaking of trust..rebellion/rebellious acts.
    Forgiveness is to release a debt owed.
    Sin is missing the mark/ goal of Gods standard which is perfect and without fault.
    Covered is to conceal, hide or to be removed, paid for.
    This week was hard and last night was ugly. I gave into my temper and my heart was angry with my son, taking up a proposition to not trust God.

    When we miss “it,” it’s easy to just want to sit there and keep sulking, beat ourselves up and wallow in the guilt and same of our actions. Previously my usual course of action, but not today.
    For this believer this just should not be. As I read verses 1-2 i was reminded of the Gospel, and thank God that I was. My sins are covered and the LORD is not counting them against me because like I shared yesterday they have been paid for by the blood of Christ.

    These 2 versus reminded that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1) There is grace when we sin, we confess those sins so we can be healed (James 5:16) and repent- turning back to Jesus.

    And that is good news. Happy is the one whose rebellion and broken trust against a holy and righteous God is NOT counted against them.

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