The Cry of a Heart // Psalm 32
“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude
The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.’
Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord. So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!”
The weight of sin can be crushing. The inward shame, condemnation, and secrecy is overwhelmingly dark and lonely, enough to break a person. Have you been there? Lost in your sin and cocktail of bad choices. It's a place no one should stay long--and you don't have to.
In this psalm, David is illustrating the large gap between freedom and guilt. Many scholars believe he may have penned these words on the heels of repenting from his sin with Bathsheba. It would make since if so.
Did you know David waited a year before he confessed his sins before God after his moral failure with Bathsheba? David, the man who exercised bold faith, trusted God in the darkest of moments, and danced before the Lord. This king lived in his cave of guilt for a whole year before running to his Father for forgiveness.
But once he did lay it all out and asked for grace, David was different. He knew a little more--personally--about the grace of God. He knew what it was like to carry the weight of sin and to be set free from it as well.
Have you ever recoiled in your shame, afraid to show the world--or even one person--what's hidden there in your heart? Afraid to be you and to walk in the light of day? Wondering when you'll take your next failed step and if it will be your last?
In contrast, have you ever lived in freedom? Loosened from the bondage of this world and sure in the love of the Father? When you walked confidently in grace and redemption without the fear of condemnation?
Two completely different ways of living, and yet without hesitation you're sure of which you prefer. So, how come it's so easy to live in the shame? If freedom and redemption are what you truly long for, why spend one more minute in "wasting away" as the psalmist says?
David knew the difference and he's burdened that others not have to experience the darkness of one spectrum. This psalm is an instruction to people; an urgent word to anyone who will listen.
“Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.”
Do you trust the Lord--with all your bondage, sin, shame, guilt, and bad choices? Do you believe that He is powerful enough to wipe them clean from your slate and give you a fresh start?
If you do, why live one more day carrying the baggage of condemnation? If you struggle to believe this, why? What do you have to lose giving all that you have to God and taste redemption?
