Psa 32

Psg: Psa 32 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Ps32)
Date: 5/11/12

Read

32:1 How blessed* is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven,*

whose sin is pardoned!*

32:2 How blessed is the one* whose wrongdoing the Lorddoes not punish,*

in whose spirit there is no deceit.*

32:3 When I refused to confess my sin,*

my whole body wasted away,*

while I groaned in pain all day long.

32:4 For day and night you tormented me;*

you tried to destroy me* in the intense heat* of summer.*(Selah)

32:5 Then I confessed my sin;

I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.

I said, "I will confess* my rebellious acts to the Lord."

And then you forgave my sins.* (Selah)

32:6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers*should pray to you

while there is a window of opportunity.*

Certainly* when the surging water* rises,

it will not reach them.*

32:7 You are my hiding place;

you protect me from distress.

You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance.* (Selah)

32:8 I will instruct and teach you* about how you should live.*

I will advise you as I look you in the eye.*

32:9 Do not be* like an unintelligent horse or mule,*

which will not obey you

unless they are controlled by a bridle and bit.*

32:10 An evil person suffers much pain,*

but the Lord's faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him.*

32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!

Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright!*

Record

I no longer covered up my wrongdoing (5).
Certainly when the surging water rises, it will not reach them (6).

Reflect

• A key reason we don't confess our sin is that we are protecting ourselves.
• We try to protect ourselves from God (even though we know he knows!).
• We try to protect ourselves from ourselves, not wanting to face the level of sin and evil within us, pretending like we're not so bad.
• We are guarding a very vulnerable part of who we are. It is a great weakness in our character, and you protect weaknesses, not highlight them.
• In this psalm, David tried to cover up, protect. Then (5) he changed his tactic to confession. In verse 6, the lone benefit listed her for those who confess are and forgiven is protection - the very thing we vainly attempt to do by not confessing.
• The key to protecting ourselves is not refusing to confess, but specifically by confessing.
• This is true only because of the forgiveness that God grants. It's not in the confession, nor is through confession by ex opere operato. But it is from the Protector and Forgiver who desires to be our Protector and Forgiver.
• Rather than hiding our sin, we hide ourselves in him by confessing.

Respond

• You give me two options: I can try to hide my sin, or I can hide myself in the One who forgives sins.
• You are ever-present, persistently ready to forgive. I am stubborn, at times unwilling to come to you because I don't want to admit to myself what you already know. You have given your Son so that I can come to you. I try to crawl up onto the cross and say, "I can do this myself." You offer eternal protection. I tempt the floodwaters to come. You give me the gift of repentance to put an end to these conflicting statements.