JOY OF A FORGIVEN SINNER
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Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, as I worship you this Sabbath, thank you for your love for me, for your constant care, and your advocacy on my behalf in heaven.
Read PSALM 32
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Psalm
Psalm 32
Psalm 32
Of David. A maskil.
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the LORD does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 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.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 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!
Reflect
What has been your experience once you have confessed your sin to God?
This psalm probably records David’s experience following his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah.1 In verses three and four, four different words portray sin as an unhappy, frustrating, weakening burden. Evidently, David spent some time in this sorry state, but in spite of the penitential nature of this psalm, his prevailing emotion throughout is joy (vv. 1, 2, 11). Why? Because the Lord has sent help via the prophet Nathan.2 The guilt which accompanies sin drives David at last to seek forgiveness with sincere confession and petition (vv. 3—5). In generous, steadfast, covenant love (v. 10), the Lord not only grants him forgiveness but adds to it protection, deliverance, and a promise of future guidance (vv. 6—8).
From this moment on, David’s emotional experience is completely transformed. The guilt, the spiritual dryness, and the unhappiness are all gone. He experiences the truth of Isaiah that, when the Lord forgives sin, he blots it out; it no longer exists.3 His focus is no longer on his past sin but on his present experience (the assurance of being safely hidden in God) and future hope (of God’s loving eye to guide and protect).
As believers in Jesus Christ, we, too, are in such a loving covenant relationship with Almighty God. We are his and he is ours, forever. We, too, can know the assurance of forgiveness when we confess our sins.4 What a promise! Notice, though, in light of our human tendency to complacency, the accompanying warning against future stubbornness and how the psalm divides people into only two groups: ‘the wicked’ and ‘the one who trusts in him’ (v. 10). With the Lord, there can be no sitting on the fence as far as sin is concerned.
Apply
Is past sin causing you anxiety? Petition the Lord for forgiveness, trust his love, then rejoice in his provision for you of a present hiding place and a future hope.
Closing prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise you for your forgiveness and thank you for your steadfast love toward me.
1 2 Sam 11 2 2 Sam 12:1—13 3 Isa 43:25 4 1 John 1:9.
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