Psalms and the Seasons of Your LifeSample

A Psalm for the Season of Forgiveness

Psalm 32 begins as it ends—in joyful, jubilant song. There is so much triumph as Psalm 32 opens its front door to us. It is not the song of a self-righteous Pharisee but of a pitiful publican. It is not the music of an elder brother who has pleaded his merits but the melody of a maligned prodigal son who has proclaimed his despair and found deliverance. The publican has been justified; the prodigal son is eating prime rib with his regal robe around him and his flashing ring gleaming in the sunlight!

Sin can shame a sinner to silence. The songs of silence are devastating in the hymnbook of our lives when there is transgression in our hearts. David’s portrait of the silent sinner is incredibly intense. His bones waxed old. There is a physical manifestation that results when a person feels guilty. The body seems to lose its vitality, energy, and enthusiasm. Unconfessed sin often produces psychosomatic byproducts.

Confession is imperative—or pathetic living is imminent. Confession is an arrow in the Christian’s arsenal. Don’t be ashamed to admit that you’ve sinned, that you’ve stumbled along the way. Confess as you depend on God to make things right. You will shout as David in verse 6, “Surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach [me].” You will be able to say as David did in verse 7, “You are my hiding place.”

This psalm has a happy ending. There is gladness and rejoicing and shouting for joy! But remember, David, confessed his sin prior to the party. We need to bring confession out of the Christian catacombs, dust it off and use it frequently in our faith. You will not enjoy a season of thanksgiving until you have shared in the cleansing that follows confession. Are you singing and celebrating the riches of your God before a sad and sorry world? Let us lay aside every weight in our lives and the sins that keep us silent!