Tuesday, March 3
READ: Psalm 32
DEVOTION:
Instant relief. We desire it, we pray for it, and when life gets uncomfortable, we will do almost anything to receive it. As I was reading Psalm 32, I found myself instantly drawn in to what David (the author) was saying. Verse 1… “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” Yes and amen!! Verse 2… “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Thank you, Lord, for your mercy and grace!! Verses 3 & 4… “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” Suddenly, instead of me being my current self, reading these words of David, I was instantly transported back to the Rensselaer Central High School bus parking lot. Memories are a funny thing, aren’t they? We can be doing something, anything, and all of a sudden a certain smell or sound or sight can take us back to a time we haven’t thought of in what feels like a million years! I enjoyed many extra curriculars in my high school days, one of which was marching band. Actual marching band performances happened during football games (usually cold). However, we learned the songs and routines during a week-long intensive in the summer months (So. HOT!!). I remember one particular day, after being on the black top for hours, feeling so hot and so tired, that I found myself bargaining with God. I first thanked him that I’d chosen to play the flute and not the tuba (praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!!). But I then proceeded to plead my sweaty case with the following specific request… “if you could just send enough snowflakes to cover my body – just one thin layer – I would be most grateful.” I thought about how good that would feel – how instantly I would feel relief if only I had a snowflake for each area of my skin. And then I laughed at myself for being ridiculous (and possibly showing early signs of heat stroke). But the heat was suffocating – sapping me of all my strength. If I could have, in that moment, had the power to bring instant cooling relief, you better believe I would have done it! Run through a sprinkler in a nearby yard, yes please! Jumped in a neighbor’s pool fully clothed? Absolutely!!
I resonated with David’s analogy. Our sin feels heavy and oppressive and life-sapping. But what if our sin, weighing heavy on us like oppressive heat, could be instantly relieved? Let’s jump back in with David in verse 5… “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ – AND YOU FORGAVE THE GUILT OF MY SIN.
Wait, that’s it?? Just be honest with the Lord and confess our wrong-doings, and just like that, He forgives us? Could it truly be that simple? And if so, why isn’t that our first and natural instinct each and every time we sin? Well, I believe the answer to that question might be found in verse 10… “Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.” Who TRUSTS… in HIM! Maybe, just maybe, the reason we don’t often experience the instant relief of the weight of our sins is because of our own lack of trust in the One who has the power to forgive. Does He really love me despite my sins? Was Jesus’ work on the cross really enough? Can I truly believe that no sin is too big for God to forgive? On and on, we can rationalize reasons why maybe we can’t take God at His word, prolonging the agony of our sin, when relief is only a confession away. Friends, it's time to live as those who are forgiven! May it be said of us that we are surrounded by the Lord’s unfailing love, because of our trust in Him!! The result? Look at verse 11… “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!”
I don’t know about you, but I choose to rejoice and sing to the One who, through Jesus, calls us righteous and upright in heart. All because we choose to receive the blessing of His sweet forgiveness.
REFLECT:
*Do I truly trust what God says to be true?
*Is there any sin that is still weighing me down that I need to confess in order to receive the gift of God’s forgiveness?
PRAY:
Lord, help us to trust that your word is true and your love is, indeed, enough. May we no longer be slaves to sin, but may we live as those who are free because of the power of Jesus! Help us to be quick to confess, basking in the instant relief of your forgiveness. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, amen!