Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!
Today's psalm is one of my favorites, a penitential psalm which describes our confession of our sins and the forgiveness which God gives to us. David speaks of this daily rhythm in our lives: sinning, confessing, and being forgiven. Every day you drown your old sinful self in the waters of your baptism and by God's forgiveness, your new self rises up, clean & ready for the new day coming.
Psalm 32:1:7
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to You
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to You
at a time when You may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach Him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance.
surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach Him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance.
Each one of us knows how it feels to waste away in the guilt & shame from our sins, which build up, burning within us. As long as we keep silent, we groan and feel the convicting hand of God resting upon us. Eventually we come to our senses and exclaim with David “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”. Then, like a fever which finally breaks, we feel the cooling rush of God's forgiveness. Once again we know how blessed we are to be loved and forgiven children of God.
Give thanks to God that He has given you faith to trust in Him, faith which draws you to humbly confess your sins and receive God's free and forever forgiveness!
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Mark
Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS Burton, Michigan
office: 810.744.1188
We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:
Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.
Soli Deo Gloria
"The LORD is a stronghold in times of trouble." Psalm 9:9
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