Quest for Hope
Disciplined by God 2-29-16
Psalm 32:1-6a, 8-10
On Saturday, we looked at sin and how it is a slavery for our souls; a slavery God never wanted for us. We should be angry at the sin that seeks to rob us in our relationship with God. Today, we will look at a psalm (a song) written by King David. The King had committed adultery and had tried to hide his sin from God. David found that when he finally confessed he had sinned against God’s way of love, He was actually liberated and found this sweet place of surrender; his heart began to sing, again.
A psalm[a] of David.
1
Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
2
Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3
When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
4
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
5
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. Interlude
6
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
8
The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
9
Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
10
Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
God offers a fountain of forgiveness and blessing. Why is it that we are slow to accept such an amazing offer of grace? Because if we actually confessed our sin to God in order to receive his forgiveness and restore our fellowship with Him, we would have to be honest with ourselves that we have been wrong! And, most of the time we hate being wrong, don’t we? God’s Word stands at one end of the life rope and our lives at the other; the pull of wills begins. God never moves nor changes His stance or grip; He is not sweating the pressure or concerned He will not be able to hang on. We just keep thinking in our un-renewed minds we will be able to win the will for holiness argument. We can’t. God’s character never changes; it is always holy. We can pull like a mule in our disobedience as much as we want and we will not move God’s standard. So, we actually pull God’s discipline into our lives instead.
Max Lucado wrote this about the standard of God’s grace: Only the holy will see God. Holiness is a prerequisite to heaven. Perfection is a requirement for eternity. We wish it weren’t so. We act like it isn’t so. We act like those who are “decent” will see God. We act as if we’re good if we never do anything too bad. And that goodness is enough to qualify us for heaven. Sounds right to us, but it doesn’t sound right to God. And he sets the standard. And the standard is high. You see, in God’s plan, God is the standard for perfection. We don’t compare ourselves to others; they are just as fouled up as we are. The goal is to be like Him; anything less is inadequate.” Remember, it is not based on what you can accomplish in your humanness, because “We are made holy through the sacrifice Christ made in his body once and for all time” (Hebrews 10:10). If we keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus Christ (the Author/Finisher of our faith) and allow the Spirit to instigate the process of holiness in our hearts and minds (allow His discipline to change our will) we really do win at the end of the life rope! Because we are standing at the same end of the rope with Christ—saved by Love from self-destruction.
Prayer: Father, thank you that no sin I commit is too big for your forgiveness. Help me to live my life in complete honesty before you. Thank you for your discipline in the face of my disobedience. As I look honestly at my heart and thoughts and allow the Spirit to conform my will to your standard, I can know the joy of having a life record cleared of guilt. In Jesus’ name. Amen.