The Greatest Blessing - October 31st, 2011

¹ Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 
(...)

¹⁰ Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32:1-2, 10-11

History and Context:

This is another of the psalms written by King David. David was a shepherd boy who became the best king in the history of Israel. He was the youngest in his family and when the prophet came to anoint one of the sons of Jesse, David's father didn't even invite him in from tending the sheep. But even though on the outside he seemed young and was just a boy, God saw his heart and said that he was a man after God's own heart. His psalms are filled with emotions from love for God to anguish from sin to anger towards his enemies.

The Text:

This passage is the first two and last two verses of the 32nd psalm. David starts out by declaring the man whose sin is forgiven as blessed. At the time there was a lot to be done in order to earn forgiveness of sin. One had to follow all the rituals and laws, and when one law was broken, had to bring a sacrifice to the temple. Now, as we know, we have been forgiven through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Still when looking at the rest of Psalm 32 we can see a certain attitude that is important for us to have in order to show our repentance. David talks about acknowledging his sin before God. He says that when he tried to keep it in his 'bones grew old'. He also talks about trusting in the Lord and rejoicing in Him. These are all attitudes that are important to us and our walk with God.

The Challenge:

Today I just want to encourage you. Know that your sins are forgiven and know that because of that you are blessed. Often we talk about blessings in the sense of material things, money, house, car, etc. But don't forget that the greatest blessing is that your sins are forgiven and that God loves you despite all that you have done against Him. There is no greater thing and in this alone we should find reason to rejoice!

The Prayer:

Lord, I do rejoice in you! Thank you for your mercy, thank you for forgiving my sin. I will be glad in you today and I will shout for joy! I love you Lord because you first loved me. In Jesus' name, Amen!