READING: Psalms 32, 86, 102, 103, 122
“How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!”
Psalm 32:1
Sin has a way of eating at our souls. Conviction drains us, multiplies our stress, keeps us awake at night, and harms our relationships. No matter how much we might enjoy our sin, no temporary pleasure from wrong actions is worth the agony we believers experience because of it. In fact, unconfessed and unforgiven sin can haunt us for years (even decades) after the sin was committed.
On the other hand, God is more gracious toward us than any of us can imagine. The psalmist learned that truth and expressed it in multiple ways. He understood that God is “kind and ready to forgive, abounding in faithful love to all who call on [him]” (Psa. 86:5). Indeed, he knew that truth personally: “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity.I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’and you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psa. 32:5). God is so compassionate toward us that “He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. . . . As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psa. 103:10, 12). Thus, it’s no wonder the psalmist could say, “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” (Psa. 32:1).
I say it again: sin has a way of eating at our souls – but God has a way of cleansing us, forgiving us, and giving us new beginnings. It seems to me that following God is decidedly more rewarding than chasing sin.
ACTION STEPS:
- Review again what the psalmist said about God’s forgiveness—and thank the Lord for it.
- Live today in the joy of having been forgiven.
PRAYER: “God, I don’t know why You love me like You do. Thank You for forgiving the guilt of my sin.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Review and catch up day
