Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:1-5 NLT
“Confession is good for the soul.” That’s not just an old proverb. It’s true.
King David discovered that truth. We don’t know the exact situation that prompted his passionate declaration in Psalm 32, but he clearly identified for countless millions to follow him how badly all of us require confession to thrive. He tells us how to talk to God when we have sinned. This is so helpful. When you have wronged someone, broken a relationship with a spouse, friend, coworker, and have a great desire to make things right and live in peace, don’t you go over and over in your mind the conversation you must have? You plan in advance the words you need to say.
David starts with a burst of personal testimony: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven!” He said the Lord had completely cleared him of guilt. He had experienced the liberation that comes with diagnosing our sickness and then taking the right corrective action. God cannot do for us what only He can do until we take that step.
In fact, David describes the widespread misery that was his until he accurately and honestly diagnosed his condition. He was physically ill, and his body felt like it was wasting away. He was in daily agony. Spiritual sickness shows up in every arena of our lives – physically, emotionally, and relationally. He felt his distance from God, and he described it as a “heavy hand of discipline” that made his strength evaporate like water in the summer heat. We can identify with the weariness that comes with intense summer heat – we get so weary we feel like we can’t go another step.
Finally, David came to his senses and confessed all his sins. He says he quit trying to hide his guilt and admitted to God that he was rebellious and sinful. When he did, God forgave him, and all his guilt was gone.
- David teaches us how to talk to God if we want a thriving relationship with Him. We must own our sin and accept His spiritual diagnosis so that we can live in freedom and health. Why not talk with Him and get your diagnosis?