Psalm 32

Cultivating a Repentant Heart

When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
    your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
    as in the heat of summer.
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.
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
    will not reach them.
You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 
Psalm 32:3-8

We all have feelings we experience when we sin; maybe it’s shame, or maybe pride, or a difficulty to admit it. Maybe they're feelings of being disconnected from God, or anger at ourselves. The problem is, we don’t always know what to do about it. David kept silent; maybe he felt like he couldn’t approach God, maybe he didn’t want to turn from his sin just yet - it doesn’t really explain.
What David does tell us is that no matter what feelings you experience, we can find forgiveness as we confess our sins to Him. Then, in verse 8, David switches from his own perspective to God’s. God tells us that not only will He forgive our sins, but He’ll help us as we continue to pursue Him and His ways.

Prayer Focuses

• Reflect. Ask the Lord to search your heart. "Am I being silent on something or a sin area you want me to confess?" 
• Confess and repent. What feelings or thoughts are stirring up to make that difficult?
• Pray for the Spirit to guide and transform you.

Action Steps

• You may have noticed that the bridge in the song No Longer Slaves by Bethel is loosely based on Psalm 32:6-7. Give it a listen, and reflect on it in the context of this whole passage.
• Part of repentance is seeking reconciliation with those we may have hurt. Who might that be for you today?