Confession and praise “in the presence of all God’s people”
Daily Scripture
Psalm 32:1-7, 11; Psalm 116:13-14, 17-19
Psalm 32
1 The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
whose sin is covered over, is truly happy!
2 The one the LORD doesn’t consider guilty—
in whose spirit there is no dishonesty—
that one is truly happy!
3 When I kept quiet, my bones wore out;
I was groaning all day long—
every day, every night!—
4 because your hand was heavy upon me.
My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought.
5 So I admitted my sin to you;|
I didn’t conceal my guilt.
“I’ll confess my sins to the LORD,” is what I said.
Then you removed the guilt of my sin.
6 That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times,
so that a great flood of water won’t reach them.
7 You are my secret hideout!
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of rescue!
11 You who are righteous, rejoice in the LORD and be glad!
All you whose hearts are right, sing out in joy!
Psalm 116
13 I’ll lift up the cup of salvation.
I’ll call on the LORD’s name.
14 I’ll keep the promises I made to the LORD
in the presence of all God’s people.
17 So I’ll offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to you,
and I’ll call on the LORD’s name.
18 I’ll keep the promises I made to the LORD
in the presence of all God’s people,
19 in the courtyards of the LORD’s house,
which is in the center of Jerusalem.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Israel’s King David had an illicit affair with Bathsheba, killed her husband to cover it up, and only confessed when urged by Nathan the prophet (2 Samuel 11:1-12:13). If, as many believe, Psalm 32 grew from that, it involved God’s human community in the “personal” act of confession (before the word “church” even existed). “All the faithful” prayed in verse 6. Verse 11 invited all of God’s people to praise God’s forgiving love. In Psalm 116 the psalmist made promises with “all God’s people.”
- At church, we too often try to put on a (falsely) flawless face. Dr. Don Williams wrote, “What would happen in the church if we would all introduce ourselves, ‘I’m Don, I’m a sinner’? The pretense would be gone, and we would be blessed.” * How might it deepen your commitment to God and heal you inwardly to be honestly vulnerable in trusted community as the writer of Psalm 32 was?
- Scholar John Goldingay wrote of Psalm 116, “The last part of the psalm addresses God, but most of it addresses other worshipers, people such as those family members and friends who would accompany an individual to the temple to make the offering and share in the rejoicing…. other people’s trust in God is built up by hearing [the psalmist’s] testimony.” ** How can honestly sharing your life with others both strengthen you and encourage and strengthen them?
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for the worshipping community you have called me to be a part of and ask that you walk with us as we grow in our ability to love, worship and serve you. Amen.
GPS Insights
Jennifer Creagar
Jennifer Creagar is the Community Assistance Coordination Director in Resurrection's Congregational Care Ministry. She is married and loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys writing and photography.
We all have inner battles. Sometimes, we are trying to decide what is good, and the inner battle is Good vs Easy, or Safe, or Good vs What I Want. Sometimes we are bearing the guilt of taking an action, or saying something, that we now realize was unkind, or unjust, or lacking in grace. Psalm 32 has the best description of that inner battle:
When I kept quiet, my bones wore out;
I was groaning all day long-
every day, every night!-
because your hand was heavy upon me.
My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. (Psalm 32:3-4)
Our inner battles are hard on us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They can make us miserable. Sometimes they can take us to a very dark place. But God has the perfect way to end our inner battles and heal the damage:
So I admitted my sin to you;
I didn’t conceal my guilt.
“I’ll confess my sins to the LORD,” is what I said.
Then you removed the guilt of my sin.
That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times,
so that a great flood of water won’t reach them.
You are my secret hideout!
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of rescue! (Psalm 32:5-7)
How blessed we are to have a secret hideout where we can go and admit our sins, confess our temptations, and ask God to protect us from ourselves. The psalmist also points out the best and most healing part of acting on verses 5-7: Joy! God forgives us and makes our hearts right again. God heals the scars of our inner battles and brings us to a place of joy and peace. We are reminded how to live in a way that pleases God, and our hearts open to receive to real joy and gladness, and not be afraid of our inner battles.
God, who forgives us and makes us whole again, thank you for the healing power of your Grace. Help us to use it to offer your grace and healing to each other.
Amen
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Don Williams, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13: Psalms 1–72. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986, p. 255.
** John Goldingay, Psalms for Everyone, Part 2: Psalms 73–150. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014, p. 138.
