Verse Ten: Psa 32:11 Appreciating Forgiveness

So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! Psalm 32:11 NLT

(10 of 44 of H1523)

If you don't look at the whole entry, sometimes these verse can just seem repetitive, can't they? Oh look another verse that says "rejoice and be glad!" And it rolls right off you like nothing even happened. Maybe it's just me :) I can very easily be like that, but I don't want this blog to be that. I don't want this adventure to be THAT. I want to grasp the opportunity for this to really change my life, to write these words on my heart and not so easily lose hope. I struggle with depression and I have for as long as I can remember now. I don't believe that this is what God wants for me and the more I seek that out the more I see that its like a muscle you have to work and God is ready and waiting to be your trainer as soon as you "hire" Him. I say this all for a reason, I approach these verses with intention and with an effort for it to be not of my own logical mind working out the puzzle but as a download from God. I want to know "What do you have for me today from this? What do you want to tell others?" And believe me, until I do that, I am usually pretty stuck on what to write! He is so faithful to answer.

This verse wraps up Psalm 32, which carries a lot of interesting wisdom about how sin/transgression affects our bodies, minds, hearts and especially our relationship with God. The Psalm starts out saying  "Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven" and you can easily see why he would be blessed. Look at the side effects of not coming clean to God:

"When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long." (verse 3)

"My vitality was turned into the drought of summer" (verse 4)

"Do not be like the horse [or] like the mule, [Which] have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you." (verse 9)

"Many sorrows [shall be] to the wicked" (verse 10)

So to recap, NOT confessing our sins to God and asking for forgiveness leads to: Aching bones, lifelessness, cranky-stubborn attitude, and sorrow. Hm. And what about when we do confess it all? Well one, all of those nasty things go away (sweet!) and we gain forgiveness (v. 5), preservation from trouble (v. 7), deliverance (v. 7), a refuge/hiding place (v. 7), instruction and guidance (v.8), understanding (v.9), and mercy (v. 10).  

So in the end David sums it up by pointing out we that, if we have obeyed God and confessed our sins to Him, then our hearts are pure because they have been forgiven; for that reason let's rejoice and be glad :)