February 12, 2011

Psalm 32 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:
Matthew 14:1-12, Acts 21:1-26, Exodus 25-26

Journal Entry

Scripture

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (vs 2)

Observation

Blessed is the man whom the Lord clears all guilts and considers righteous -- because the Lord forgives when we confess, by the blood of Jesus.
Then, there is no need for deceit, pretense, or dishonesty in his life, even in his confession of sin to God. How often do we come to God in a motion of confession, for we feel guilty. For we know to repent when we sin. So we do go thru the motion of repentance, but in reality, we profess to confess, while continuing in our sin.
To this, David reminds, the blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no deceit. Be real and sincere in our confession, knowing that He forgives. No need for hypocrisy in our confession.
When David held sins within himself - pretending it's o.k., or ignoring or hiding it -- he experienced heaviness, dryness, groaning.(vs 3-4) But as soon as he confessed, forgiveness came. How blessed was he.
Thus, David can boldly exhort others not to hide; do not profess to confess with an intention to still continue in sin. For surely the Lord will come as a rescue.(vs 6-7).Surely He will instruct and guide to walk upright for He has His eyes on us (vs 8-9), especially when we do not know how to walk away from the sinful path. He will guide. Thus, celebrate, joyful in the Lord, being upright in our heart; no deceit within us!

Application

I am very thankful that we are commanded to be sincere, honest in our repentance to the Lord. How often I come before God in my effort to repent (turn around from a sinful way), feeling already defeated, thus no intention to live differently, or feel there is no way that i could live a victorious life. But NO need for that any more. I want to practice the truth found in Psalm 32, by the practice of mind. First to believe in God's promise of forgiveness. Second, act upon in all sincerity to confess when I fall. And lastly, rely on His guidance on the path I should walk on.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for making the forgiveness available for us. Thank you for the exhortation to come before you 100%, without any pretense, when I confess my sin. May each of my confession and repentance be sincere and real, knowing you have taken care of all the rest. Let there be no deceit in my confession. Thank you, in Jesus' name. Amen

--yanahn