The Path to Joy

I love the Psalms, and I am coming to love them more all the time. They are a regular part of my private devotional time, and I almost always find something that hits me right where a need.

One of my favorites is Psalm 32, a psalm that discusses sin and how to and how not to deal with it. These are truths that everyone needs every day.

Recently I was meditating over these 11 verses, and took the time to do a simple outline, with a little commentary on a few points:

I.               The Consequences of Hiding Sin (Unrepentance)

a.     Physical, emotional and mental suffering (v. 3-4)

b.     A heavy hand from the Lord – you are fighting against God, which is a losing proposition every time (v. 4)

c.      Unable to find God when you need Him most (v. 6)

d.     Many sorrows (misery?) – v. 10

II.             The Blessings of Confessed Sin (Repentance)

a.     Forgiveness (v. 1, 5)

b.     Clear conscience (v. 2)

c.      God is a refuge (v. 7)

d.     Preservation (v. 7)

e.     Deliverance (v. 7)

f.      Instruction from the Lord (v. 8)

g.     The experience of God’s steadfast love (v. 10)

h.     Joy (v. 11)

III.           Action Steps to Avoid the Consequences and Experience the Blessings

a.     Confess our sins (v. 1, 5) – all of them (v. 2, 5)

b.     Seek the Lord NOW (v. 6)

c.      Listen and submit to the Lord’s instruction (v. 8-9)

d.     Rejoice (v. 11)

Here’s a summary: while our normal modus operandi is to run and hide our sin from God, we are much better off in the long and short term to confess our sin and allow His mercy to heal and bring us joy.