Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
Psalm 32 speaks to the blessedness of the one who is forgiven. It’s important that we remember this is not speaking of someone who was not guilty. Verses 3-5 speak clearly of the process of what a Christian would call “conviction of sin.” Here we realize something is wrong. We try to deny it, to evade the truth, maybe to minimize our sin or learn to live with it keeping it secret. In the end, those efforts fail. We find ourselves preoccupied and troubled, day and night. In the end it consumes all our energy. We have no choice but to call out to God.
What happens then? We still have the sin but we confess it to the Lord. He does not make it nonexistent. He forgives it. The sin? Yes, it has still happened. There may be deep and lasting consequences. But in his mercy, God forgives us. He will not count it against us (v. 1). He also shows us we can’t lie to God. There’s no place for deceit (v. 2).
What is our reasonable action in light of this ? The Christian, over time, becomes both more aware of his sunfulness and of the forgiving nature of God. Rather than denying and hiding our sin, we confess it before the Lord. REally, why would we want to bottle up an offense before God when we know it will debilitate us? No, we don’t hide it. We confess before the Lord and see his forgiveness. There we find a confidence and a stability. We know the God of all mercy, who can guard our hearts and minds.
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