Praise

Psalm 32 (TLB)

'What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.

There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess them to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him if he does.

You are my hiding place from every storm of life; you even keep me from getting into trouble! You surround me with songs of victory. I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress. Don’t be like a senseless horse or mule that has to have a bit in its mouth to keep it in line!

Many sorrows come to the wicked, but abiding love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. So rejoice in him, all those who are his, and shout for joy, all those who try to obey him.'


This is one of David's many psalms. And each one of them can be a source of strength and inspiration. Meditating on them, it is easy to see how he is known as the man after God's own heart. And being such doesn't mean that he is some superhuman or a perfect human being either. In fact it is quite the opposite, he is very much flawed, like each one of us.

But a few things he did, separated him from many mortal beings. He acknowledged it when he made mistakes (and his mistakes were more than likely a whole lot more than we can be capable of).  And he truly worshipped our God. He sang praises to Him and he shouted for joy because he was truly aware that his many sins though red as crimson was washed as white as snow and because he was forgiven much, he loved the Lord much.

Today and really everyday, let us have a heart like David, honest, reverent, humble, repentant, dependent, thankful and always praising Him who is worthy to be praised. Today let's praise Him, the one, true compassionate and awesome God, who came down to earth to live among us, feel our pain, our sorrow and our daily trials -- He who is able to relate to what we are going through and He who was able to fulfill His mission as one of us, and the one person who is constantly reminding us, 'you can do it, and when you are weary and burdened, I am your hiding place, come to me, take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.'