-February 1, 2022-
Good morning, happy Tuesday,
“Blessed is he who transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
(Psalm 32:1-2).
We are all familiar with the story of David and Bathsheba. David committed both adultery and murder and stood guilty before the Lord. The baby died and David’s fellowship with the Lord was severed. He didn’t confess his sin and God’s hand was heavy upon him until he did. He suffered greatly spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. God sent His prophet Nathan to speak to him so that he would confess his sins and be restored.
Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 shows what he went through and describe Psalm 51 his confession and restoration. God will chasten us until we confess, repent, and return to Him. He chastises us because He loves us. There is such a relief to be forgiven and restored to the Lord. In the Bible there are two types of God’s forgiveness: Judicial – God’s forgiveness as our Judge. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins so that we can be forgiven and have eternal life through faith in His finished work on the cross. Parental – God forgives us as our Heavenly Father. This the type of forgiveness we are speaking of today. Sin cuts off our fellowship with God, we feel all alone, and nothing seems to go right.
David used the word blessed twice in today’s text: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered,” and “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Another word for blessed is happy. Being forgiven by God is one of our greatest blessings. There is relief, peace, comfort, and joy. and comfort. David wrote in Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave me the iniquity of my sin.”
In the NT, John gave the recipe for a believer to getting right with God, “If we confess our sins, He us faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Repentance is turning from our sin, confession is agreeing with God that it is evil in His sight, and forsaking it, is asking God to help us not repeat it. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” David found God’s mercy as did Peter, Jonah, and others. God is the restoration business.
Have a blessed day of being forgiven and walking closely with the Lord. When our relationship is right with God we have such peace and joy. Stay safe and healthy.
In His mercy and grace,
Dean
Tomorrow: Forgiving others and being forgiven by others
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 