Psalm 32 is a fascinating and personal conversation with God. David began the Psalm with a blanket declaration of blessing. “How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is a person whose guilt the Lord does not take into account, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!” (Psalm 32:1–2, NASB 2020) Forgiveness is a great blessing that we often overlook. David, however, isn’t finished, this is just the opening that sets the table. What follows is a deeply personal conversation.
“When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah” (Psalm 32:3–4, NASB 2020) David is giving us a look at his relationship with God. It’s like we’re reading his prayer journal. David doesn’t tell us when he wrote this, and I’m kind of glad he didn’t.
Sin weighed on David. But he isn’t unique in this. We all are silent about our sin and try to ignore it, hoping it will fade. But it doesn’t. The residue of sin is abrasive and draining. We try to hide, push it into a corner, try to justify our sin, anything but coming to God with it. But that is what David does next.
“I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah” (Psalm 32:5, NASB 2020) When David confesses his sin to God; God forgives. Think about that. (That’s what selah means- pause to consider). There is no mention of making it up somehow: no payment or sacrifice. We know what David didn’t know: our guilt was taken to the cross of Jesus. Our path of forgiveness is the same – acknowledge and confess our sins, and God will forgive us.
“Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Certainly in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You keep me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.” (Psalm 32:6–7, NASB 2020) David, still talking with God, recognizes the wisdom of forgiveness. Not only does God release our guilt, but He also becomes our hiding place, our safe space where God surrounds us with songs and shouts of deliverance. God doesn’t reject us when we bring our sins to Him; He draws us closer. So close that we can hear His voice.
To David, and us, God responds, “I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel. Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle or else it will not come near you.” (Psalm 32:8–9, CSB) Forgiveness opens the door for God’s instruction and direction. God is promising David that He will guide him. But God is not steering us like a rider on a horse. God instructs, teaches, and shows us the way. It is our choice to follow His way.
David closes the Psalm with a declaration, “The sorrows of the wicked are many, But the one who trusts in the Lord, goodness will surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” (Psalm 32:10–11, NASB 2020)
I love this Psalm because it gives us the basic recipe for what faith in God is all about. This psalm reminds us to draw near to God, and He will draw near us. It is steeped in a personal relationship with God. David talks to God, and God responds. This Psalm explores the effects of our sin and the freedom we receive through God’s forgiveness. What David didn’t know was the rest of the story. That Jesus would come to this world and give himself as the ransom for our sins. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice!
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