Psalm 32 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
God desires to bless you; to bless all of his children with his love. Blessings are God’s reward for living in honesty and integrity before him. When we live honestly, we recognize the truth about our hearts and actions. We do not resist God’s hand of guidance. We know when we have sinned against the Word and we do not try to hide our sin from the Lord. He loves us and wants to help us, but we must confess and turn from our sin in order to taste the joy of forgiveness. Truly, as we follow Christ, blessings abound!
Psalm 32 The Joy of Forgiveness
1
Our God, you bless everyone
whose sins you forgive
and wipe away.2
You bless them by saying,
“You told me your sins,without trying to hide them,
and now I forgive you.”3
Before I confessed my sins,
my bones felt limp,
and I groaned all day long.4
Night and day your hand
weighed heavily on me,
and my strength was gone
as in the summer heat.5
So I confessed my sins
and told them all to you.
I said, “I’ll tell the Lord
each one of my sins.”Then you forgave me
and took away my guilt.6
We worship you, Lord,
and we should always praywhenever we find out
that we have sinned.
Then we won’t be swept away
by a raging flood.7
You are my hiding place!
You protect me from trouble,and you put songs in my heart
because you have saved me.8
You said to me,
“I will point out the road
that you should follow.I will be your teacher
and watch over you.9
Don’t be stupid
like horses and mules
that must be led with ropes
to make them obey.”10
All kinds of troubles
will strike the wicked,
but your kindness shields those
who trust you, Lord.11
And so your good people
should celebrate and shout.Prayer: Father, I understand the heart of David in our reading today. When I am honest with you about my thought life and actions, you are right there to encourage me to rise in your power toward a greater level of maturity. All I have to do, is be honest and repent. I praise you for your goodness and mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.