I WILL GIVE YOU DIRECTION
Psalm 32:1-11;
There are thirteen teaching Psalms and they are Psalms of David called ‘Maskil’. Maskil means that it is a teaching Psalm. Psalm 32: is one of them. Because David had gained some very good insight he felt the need to share what he had learned with others. The Psalm was sung and probably so to encourage those around and within earshot to listen to it because of its importance. His hope was for them to be instructed by it. David learned about failure in his life, and in hopes that others will not walk away from God or quit in failure, he instructs them to turn to God when they fail and to not give up. It is one thing to fail, it is another thing to quit! God wants us to turn to Him in our failures and the sooner the better.
Christ paid a heavy price for our redemption and having done so He doesn't want us to turn away from Him, but to turn to Him. It behooves us to not make His sacrifice for our sins of no worth! It reminds me of the famous story about Thomas Watson, CEO of IBM. When a vice president of IBM came up with an idea to set up a separate division, he was given permission to do so and promptly lost ten million dollars. The man with the idea was devastated and so he went in to the CEO, Mr. Watson and said because of his mistake, he was resigning. The CEO, Mr. Thomas Watson asked why he was resigning and the vice president said, "Because this thing was such a miserable failure." Thomas Watson is reported to have answered his vice president this way, "You're not resigning now! Not after I just spent ten million dollars on your education."
The wise man or woman will come to God in true repentance when they fail. And when they do come in true repentance, there they will find God's forgiveness and healing hand. Those who are rebellious however, will only find misery and pain. I think it is wise to take God's instructions and be ‘happy’!
David starts off this Psalm by expressing the absolute joy of being forgiven! The word translated here ‘blessed’ in Hebrew is plural and means more than just happiness. It is ‘Oh, how very happy’ and if you look at Psalm 1: verse 1; you will also find it is that very same blessed or how very happy. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly” or “. . . How very Happy is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.” This is talking about exuberant joy and the forgiven sinner is the happiest person on earth! This kind of happiness is found only in those whose sins are forgiven and ‘covered’ and that does not mean hidden either, it means removed! It is also note worthy that David states that this joy comes to those ‘in whose spirit is no deceit’. This means those who will be honest with self and with God and not try to rationalize their sins or minimize them can find real happiness. We must take sin seriously and realize that God paid a high price in order for us to find forgiveness. We need to appreciate what God has done by taking sin and His forgiveness seriously. I read about a man who risked his life by swimming through the treacherous rip tide on the seashore to save a youngster from being swept out to sea. After the child recovered from the harrowing experience, he thanked the man for his act of sacrifice. The man responded to the boy's thanks by saying, "that's okay son, Just make sure your life was worth saving."
The man or woman who deals with their sin quickly and honestly is a happy man or woman because they will find a God who desires to restore and heal their lives! David now describes life when he attempted to hide his sins from God and others: It was not pleasant. He actually became physically ill as well as emotionally ill. Guilt does tremendous damage to our hearts and minds. Un-forgiven sin and hidden sin in our life can really drag us down!
The story is told about a large eagle that was shot by a hunter in the Alleghenies. When he examined the bird, he was amazed to find that one of its claws was held firmly in a strong steel trap from which dangled a 5-foot chain. Although it was not heavy enough to prevent the eagle from flying, the additional weight had wearied the eagle and brought it down within reach of the man’s rifle.
So, too, the Christian can be entrapped and brought low spiritually by encumbrances and sin which make him incapable of rising to the heights he might otherwise attain. It may be that God brought physical ailments to David to get his attention and wake him up to his sin. It was this pain that finally made David cry out to God.
Sometimes when we think God is punishing us, He is actually loving us and working to move us toward Him, not away from Him. David acknowledges in his weakened state that he could not continue on without forgiveness, and he could not continue to hide his sin. Un-confessed sin can make us an easy target of Satan's schemes to destroy us. David's turning point from brokenness and weakness came when he chose to repent and not hide his sin anymore! God cannot help us when we fail to acknowledge our sins. Too many refuse to confess and acknowledge their weakness until it is too late.
Some people think it is too hard to live for Christ, to have sins forgiven, but the truth is it is much harder not living for God! He longs to restore his people and make them whole. It violates human understanding. But that's God. In Virtue David certainly recognized that confessing his sins was far less a weight than holding on to them! Even today psychology tells us the importance of honesty and forgiveness for mental and physical health. Our society is experiencing the ravages of un-confessed sin. Instead of seeking forgiveness we seek distraction and thus the guilt remains with all its effects on our life. Distraction may temporarily shield us from the guilt, but it will still have an impact on us. We can't be distracted forever! Some hope that by keeping themselves distracted they won't think about what they have done wrong, but it won't go away unless forgiven! David understood that the Lord will forgive him if he came openly and honestly. God will forgive the guilt of his sins. Notice that David says God forgives the ‘guilt’, not the ‘guilty feelings’, these are often what we need to deal with. After God has forgiven us, we need to forgive ourselves also and then dealing with the guilt feelings, even with this God will help. God holds out the promise that when we come sincerely and openly He will forgive! The time to repent is now, not later. Why wait to experience God's love, and besides, how do you know there will be a chance later anyway? The story is told of a famous rabbi who was walking with some of his disciples when one of them asked, "Rabbi, when should a man repent?" The rabbi calmly replied, "You should be sure you repent on the last day of your life." "But," protested several of his disciples, "we can never be sure which day will be the last day of our life." The famous rabbi smiled and said, "The answer to that problem is very simple.” “Repent now."
The reward of repentance is to be restored to godliness so why wait! There have been those who thought they could always ask at a later time that never got that opportunity. Today is the day of salvation; do not harden your heart as Israel had done in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:7-8; Rather than hide our sins, we need God to be our ‘hiding place’ Psalm 32:7; the place of refuge and help. For those who make God their ‘hiding place’ the storms of life will not overwhelm them, God will protect their hearts and minds. David now expresses God's desire to instruct us in avoiding the ravages of sin. He himself would serve as the example in this case. He had learned the hard way even though he knew the Word of God. He chose to ignore it, and the price tag he paid was high! How tragic that so many Christians will do this too. They know the Word of God but choose to ignore it and then are full of wonder and brokenness when the results come!
The folly of human nature is neatly summed up by the case of the middle-aged school teacher who invested her life savings in a business enterprise which had been elaborately explained to her by a swindler. When her investment disappeared and the wonderful dream was shattered, she went to the office of the Better Business Bureau. "Why on earth," they asked, "didn't you come to us first? Didn't you know about the Better Business Bureau?" "Oh, yes," said the lady sadly, "I've always known about you. But I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to do it." The fool only learns from his own mistakes, the wise person learns from the mistakes of others and not just his own! Unfortunately David learned the hard way, with a heavy price tag; sometimes these price tags are very high!
The stubborn man or woman who chooses not to repent is the fool, like the horse which runs ahead too fast, or the mule that lags behind. Mules and horses don't take counsel; they are led by bit and bridle because they are stubborn!
As Psalm 32:10; says here, ‘Many are the woes of the wicked....But...the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.’ What a contrast! Why stay with unrepentant sin? Why live with guilt that eats away your heart, mind, and body? Why not experience ‘exuberant happiness’ like David starts this Psalm out with, the joy of the forgiven!?
Those who turn toward God and have their sins forgiven are those who enjoy a happiness the world cannot know! Those who fail to come to God His way however will never achieve the goal of real happiness, even if they seem to run in this life better and faster.
In the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Ben Johnson of Canada won the one-hundred-meter dash, setting a new Olympic record and a new world record. The American contender, Carl Lewis, came in second, and most were shocked that he hadn't won the gold. After the race, the judges learned that Johnson had had an illegal substance in his body. He ran the race illegally, so the judges took away his medal. Even though he ran faster and made an unforgettable impression, he did not deserve the reward. Though the world and even our fellow Christians may be impressed with and applaud our deeds, let's not forget that God is the final judge! He searches our hearts; He alone knows our motivation. And He will be the One to say, "This deserves a reward, ah, but that does not."
Rejoicing and freedom from guilt is the fruit of the forgiven. God's peace rules their hearts. Do you know that peace today? You can know this ‘exuberant happiness’ and freedom from guilt by confessing your sins to Christ. Today would be the best day to do it I would think! Like a good parent, God will instruct us how to be His children. Like children, this can include painful lessons, but the long term fruit will be righteousness. We can respond like the horse that always runs ahead or like the mule that lags behind, or, we can learn from His Word and enjoy a happiness beyond being ‘blessed’!
Look at the message of Psalm 1: it sums it up for us. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1:1-6; Pastor Coutts
