Closer Day 1 | Psalm 32
Read: Psalm 32
1Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Reflect:
None of us is perfect. We have all messed up. There are countless things we have done that are not what God made us for. The simplest and most biblical way to say it is that we all have sinned (Romans 3:23). There is no defending it or explaining it away. We’re guilty, and if we’re honest with ourselves, we know it. As a result, there is a steep penalty to be paid, specifically our lives. However, in the midst of this bad news, there is good news. God made a way for us to experience life in the face of death. He accomplished this through sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life to then give it up to pay our debt. His payment now enables us to have what we desperately need in our guilty state of sin: forgiveness. Through grace by faith, we can be saved from our sin by receiving the forgiveness offered to us through the blood of Christ. Jesus took our sin on Himself so that we could now be found innocent because of His righteousness. When God looks at us, He now sees Jesus instead of our sin.
So, though we have sinned, through Jesus, we are forgiven. This is incredible! In this newfound reality, there is freedom found in confessing our faults and need for a Savior. A Savior who is the ultimate expression of love. It’s His love and kindness to us that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Repentance, in turn, leads us to the life we find through God’s forgiveness. Praise God for His love and that we now get to be counted as righteous!
Prayer:
God, I confess I have (name any unrepented sin in your life). Thank you that You love me and have forgiven me. Help me to remember Your kindness to me, resulting in joy in Jesus’ name.
This devotional is part of our Closer: 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Our hope is that this will assist you in focusing your heart each day. To learn more or to get caught up, click here.