Psalm 32: 1-5 Happy Are Those

Psalm 32:1-5 Happy Are Those

[1] Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
[2] Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

[3] While I kept silence, my body 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.

[5] Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD",
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

What is happening in this scripture? – The Psalmist writes a song of gratitude for forgiveness. He makes some good points. He says in this song that when he was doing things, transgressions, (we don’t know what they were), his body wasted away, he groaned all day long. He says he felt the hand of God heavy upon him and that he had no energy. He was not a happy man.
Then he says that he acknowledged his sin to God; that he stopped trying to hide his wrong doings, and he received forgiveness. Perhaps he went to his temple, participated in the rituals, paid his temple fee, and received priestly reassurance. But what he points out is that he admitted what he was feeling guilty about. Confession, they say, is good for the soul. It truly is. But it wasn’t confession that the Psalmist says made him happy, it was the forgiveness, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
As a counselor, I have seen what guilt can do to a person, or a relationship. I have seen what lies can do to a life. I have also seen what honest confrontation with yourself can do. It’s very hard work, and sometimes it is terrifying. But with it comes great relief and release. The first thing a recovering addict learns to do is tell the truth. The second is to allow himself to receive the truth, that he is worthy of a new life, and that he is not his disease. It seems to me that this is one of the most important truths of Christianity: We are not our disease. We are not our sins. We may identify with them, we may let them define us, but we do not have to do so. There is another way to live. No one is perfect, we all miss the mark, sometimes on purpose, sometimes accidentally. But Jesus reminds us that we are the children of a creator, who loves us unconditionally. The hard part, in my experience, is forgiving yourself.
There is happiness and release, and new life, waiting for us, if we will only tell the truth to ourselves and to God.

How is this happening in the world? – Questions to Ponder:
Where in the world today do you see others spending all their energy on propping up denial? What do you know about people like us, who moan and groan all day under the heaviness of living a lie? How is God calling us to release and relief through honesty?

How is this story my story? – Denial is not a river in Egypt. When I deny the truth, I deny you God, because you are the source of that which really is. Sometimes the truth is ugly, but if I don’t face old lies, how can I face new life? If you love me, I must be worth saving. Help me to realize the value which you have placed upon me, so that I may do the same.