Sunday Scripture

Again today for Sunday Scripture we're continuing my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal I'm using here: The Book of Psalms 1-50 or you can find all the resources right here on Women Living Well, Psalms 1-50.  I'm attempting to SOAP a selected passage from each Psalm too. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Each psalm's study also includes a reflection question, which I've been attempting to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 32, zeroing in on verse 5.

S= "I acknowledge my sin unto "Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid.  I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD, and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.  Selah."

O=  Psalm 32 is titled by C.I. Scofield in the Scofield Study Bible "The blessedness of forgiveness".  

David begins by making an opening statement about the blessedness of forgiveness (v.1-2) -- "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man unto whom the LorD imputeth not iniquity, in whose spirit there is no guile."

Then we see the progression of what happens when David eventually decides to confess his sin.  He first describes the discomfort of unconfessed sin -- when he "kept silence".  He experienced physical symptoms because of God's chastening hand being heavy upon him.  In verse 5 David acknowledges his sin to God and confesses his transgression.  God is faithful and just to forgive, and in verse 11 David can exult, "Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart!"

Cross-reference for "acknowledged my sin" -- "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me."

Cross-references for "confess my transgressions unto Thee" -- "And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.  And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."  (2 Samuel 12:13)

"For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin."  (Psalm 32:18)

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."  (Proverbs 28:13)

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  (1 John 1:9)

Cross-reference for "forgavest" -- "Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: Thou wast a God who forgavest them, though Thou hast taken vengeance on their misdeeds."  (Psalm 99:3)

A= "We must never doubt for a second that our spiritual condition affects our physical life!  David gives a vivid picture of what happened to his body when he failed to acknowledge his sin (v. 3-4).  Now notice David's willful decision to confess his sin (v.5).  And the result?  Note the change in David's heart (v.11)." -- Elizabeth George

In verse 11 David exults:

Be glad in the Lord!

Rejoice!

Shout for joy!

"By dealing with our sin, we gain a greater measure of the physical vitality and health that fuels the life and the plan God has in mind for us.  A passion for God should translate into a passion for dealing with sin."  -- Elizabeth George

 So it's pretty clear what we believers need to do about our sin.  We need to deal with it daily for optimum health and usefulness to our Lord.

P= "Lord, I thank You for inspiring this beautiful and instructive passage that describes David's process of dealing with his sin on this occasion.  What a picture it gives me of how to deal with my own sin (and what will happen to me physically if I neglect or postpone doing so).  I pray that You will help me to continue to keep short accounts with You, and I thank You for the vitality and joy that will radiate from my life as a result.  I thank You in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection Question: David confessed his sins to the Lord and rejoiced greatly because he was forgiven.  Are there any sins that you need to confess to God right now and receive His forgiveness?

My response: I try to keep short accounts with God and confess sin as I become conscious of it in my life.  Obviously I don't always succeed at that.  I think most believers sin consciously or unconsciously on a regular, likely a daily basis.  I make note of my most evident sin issues in my prayer journal and pray through one each day so they don't slip out of sight on my radar screen.  No specific sins are coming to mind this moment, but the one I talked with God about this morning was selfishness.

And that's just a portion of the wonderful encouragement to be found in Psalm 32.  I hope you'll dig into this psalm even more on your own!