Psalm 32

¹Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

²Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

³When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

⁴For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Selah

⁵Then 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.
Selah

⁶Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.

⁷You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah

⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

⁹Do 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.

¹⁰Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

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

David wrote this Psalm after he confessed his sin with Bathsheba. In verses 1-2, David expresses that he is blessed because his sins are forgiven. In verses 3-4, we get to hear him think back. It appears that David might not have been so quick to confess his sin to the Lord.

Verse 4 shows us that the Lord’s hand was _______upon him. How did the Lord deal with David while he remained silent? Notice all the verbs in verses 3-4.

What action is David doing in verse 5? What do you see God doing?

It says the Lord forgave not only his transgressions, but “the guilt of his sin”. When we accept Christ as our Lord, he forgives every ounce of sin from our life. Any sin from the past, in the present, or that will come in the future is banished from our slate. The Lord’s gift of his Son covers it all! We are clean, so we should not live with guilt. Holding onto our guilt can make us feel as though we are not forgiven. Satan would be thrilled if we forgot our true redeemed identity. Do not let Satan, your flesh, and the world let you harbor your guilt. (1 John 2:1-2)

After David confesses, what does he call the Lord? (v.7) ____________________ We can take refuge in Him. He is our “hiding place”. Just as the Lord is serious about our repentance, he is serious about our fellowship with Him. Let verse seven sink in for a minute.

Finally, in verse 9, David tells us to not be like a “horse or mule” that only comes by the control of a bit. Are you willingly confessing your sin to the Lord?

You can enter in to His presence right now by praying. (Hebrews 10:19) Spend this time confessing any sin that you are ashamed to admit. If you have trusted in Jesus as your savior, the sins are already washed away. The act of confessing will bring you into a deeper, more authentic relationship with Him. (Hebrews 10:22)