Pull Out Those Sea Urchins

Is there something that bothers you a lot and it’s still not resolved?

Many of us have stepped on a sea urchin and got a spike stuck in our foot, bugging us and making it difficult to walk, until we decide to pull it out. Sometimes we learn to live with a leak in the house, or a health problem, or some personal issue we tend to avoid, until that moment when we choose to face it and fix it – and instantly we are filled with relief.

Psalm 32 talks about this. We see David, who has understood what it means to make amends or right his wrongs, straightening his path and filling his life with relief. He starts by saying, “Whoever is forgiven will be happy and their evil will be resolved." Like when a judge bangs his hammer and yells “not guilty” and the defendant is free. What a moment of relief!

In terms of our relationship with God, we must explore how we get to that point of relief, when we make mistakes and fall off our board into the uncertain waters.

First, this problem might bother you for a long time. David struggled for so long that his troubles brought him physical pain. As long as he kept it hidden, the Bible says “[his] bones wasted away through [his] groaning all day” (Psalm 32:3–4).

We all have wipeouts, falls of all kinds, or we pick the wrong wave (or wrong people). When this happens, we know we must do something about it to fix it. But sometimes we avoid it and leave it for later, because we know it will cost us to address the problem.

The first step is confessing. 

You might think, Wow! Confessing? To who? Why? Doesn’t God already know what I’ve done? Why should I tell Him? Does He want to humiliate me?

I think the focus is something else. Talking about your mistakes and troubles with Him brings you alleviation and relief. (Like when my kids confess they ate that missing piece of cake in the fridge; it brings them relief, even though my wife and I already knew it was them.) 

Confessing helps us recognize and face the problem. Talking to God about the matter is recognizing there is something to fix. 

Next, it allows us to have a humble attitude and surrender, which gives us the tools to face and restore what we’ve done.

The meaning of prayer is confession to God, as explained in Psalm 32. “[He] will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:6–7). Meaning, it frees you. Do you want to be freed of your anguish? Talk to God about it.

After fixing things with God, what should you do next? How do you untangle the consequences of your actions on yourself and everyone else? God Himself says that as long as you are willing to listen, “[He] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go” (Psalm 32:8–9).

Once you recognize that you aren’t perfect, your humility and true regret will show. Others will notice, and that has a restorative value. Mutual confession takes us to prayer and support, in a mature spiritual attitude. However, it puts us in a vulnerable position and needs to be treated with discretion and respect (James 5:16).

And what will happen if you don’t face the situation? It will affect you directly and push you away from peace. We see this in verse 32:10: “Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.” 

It is like leaving that sea urchin on your foot. It will only get infected and worse over time.

Finally, in the last verse you can see the effect in the community: joy and restoration. It sets our hearts upright. “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!”

Are you living with something like that? Take off that sea urchin!