“How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!” (Psa32:2 nasb)
Journal,
We may wonder what place the book of Psalms has in our lives. The short response is, ‘Very much indeed.’ In this study we will do an overview on a Psalm that Paul quotes from in the New Testament.
The apostle wrote,
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins
have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into
account.” (Rom4:7,8 nasb)
In the book of Psalms you will find certain Psalms that are designated as a ‘miskil,’ or
what the ancients called a, ‘Psalm of enlightenment’. A miskil is the Lord’s call for His people to contemplate deeply on how He works in their lives. Such is the case with Psalm 32.
Before I share more on Psalm 32, let me relate an experience that I had many
years ago, 1976 to be exact.
What Am I Doing Here?
Here we were on our own. We had just begun our pioneer work of bringing Christian Challenge into existence. What a venture. Our rented house was not much to look at. We had no outside source of income, no denomination to back us up, and, a tiny little congregation, mostly my family. (The story of Christian Challenge is a tale to be told.)
Anyway, I’m in bed and my mind is beginning to fill with troublesome thoughts. “What am I doing here?” “How will I take care of my family?” “How will we make it?” “How will we live?” “Are we going to make it?” That is when I had this nudging in my spirit to get up, that the Lord wanted to have a word with me. (Yes, God does speak to His people.)
I went to our kitchen table with my Bible. When I sat down my Bible opened to the book of Psalms. As I looked at the pages before me, I began to hear in my spirit some instructions from the Lord. He spoke to my heart about this book, that the book of Psalms was placed in the sacred Scriptures for a reason. The Psalms teach us how to think, how to pray, what to believe, how to prosper in the Lord, how to worship, and on and on and on.
As the Lord was speaking to my heart I felt this wonderful refreshing. I got up from the table and was thoroughly reinvigorated. All doubt had disappeared. And from that moment on I’ve held a deep love for the book of Psalms.
Now for a look at Psalm 32 –
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!
“When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.
“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
“Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.
“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”
The joy in forgiveness
In Psalm 32, we find ourselves moving from the joy of having our sins forgiven, to the promise of divine guidance. What makes this Psalm extra special is that Paul quotes from it. Now we have direct relevance.
And what makes this so enlightening to new covenant believer is that our sins were atoned for at the cross. Of course this does not mean that we have permission to live sinful lives. Quite the contrary. The other side of the cross has to do with the implanted nature of Christ in the believer.
Yes, believers do sin. Yet sin is contrary to our new Christian nature. When a true child of God sins he hurts to the deep of his heart. A child of God is painfully aware of any sin in his life.
With that in view, David addresses the agony one can experience when we fail to account for our sins to the Lord. And forgiveness comes when we stop blaming others for our own short comings. The blame really belongs to us.
What sorrow and pain we would escape by simply being honest about our failings. The very key is to learn that forgiveness of our sins is but a breath away. John said that if we will confess our sin, the Lord is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Forgiveness is only the beginninge
Thank the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing. But it doesn’t end with forgiveness. When forgiveness is in place, the Lord then appoints us to a walk of righteousness. For a walk to be righteous, it has to be under His guidance. David said, 
“He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:3 nasb)
And so in Psalm 32, we clearly hear the Lord say,
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you.” (Psalm 32:8,9 nasb)
Don’t be a mule headed believer
Notice we are not to be like the mule or horse? A major problem some believers have is with bull headedness. The great struggle is with their own thought life. This is why in the new covenant God provides for the renewing of our minds.
Peter also tells us to gird up the loins of our mind, that is, we are to keep our thoughts in check. There is a saying – ‘If Satan can control your thought life, he can control all your life.’
Where do we begin?
God said through Isaiah,
“Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” (Isa55:7 nasb)
We were all wicked at one time. God forgave us. Now it is time to forsake our past way of doing and thinking. Now we must learn to follow the Lord in paths of righteousness. And this brings us to the mainstay of guidance.
When a person truly meets Jesus, something wonderful happens in the human spirit. This happening is so powerful that Paul calls it ‘a new creation.’ In this new creation the term ‘peace of God’ takes on a deeper meaning.
He says,
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Php4:7 nasb)
God’s governing grace
This supernatural peace is God’s governing peace. It is this peace that keeps us flowing in the path of righteousness. In one place the prophet said, “He makes peace your borders.” In another place we are told to let peace be the umpire in our hearts.
“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Col 3:14-15 NASB)
Remember what the Lord said in Psalm 32:
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.”
A true covenant walk, works around a relationship. Jesus said,
“I am the door of the sheep; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John10:9 nasb)
To go in and out speaks of a covenant walk. It speaks of the leading of the Shepherd. And so we have…
Doors of faith and gates of life
The paths of righteousness includes “doors of faith.” I see these doors as ‘life gates.’ In the new covenant, Jesus personally leads each believer, each marriage, each family, and each flock in paths of righteousness that is in accordance with His will and purpose, agreeing to the need of each situation. This is what the Lord was teaching David in his Psalm of contemplation.
Some believers struggle because they’ve not yet learned to trust the Lord completely to lead their life. Others struggle because they fear that following the Lord will mean suffering. Certainly to walk with the Lord can include suffering, but sufferings are usually trying situations. Yet even in the trying circumstances the promise remains. Isaiah said,
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” (Isa 26:3-4 nasb)
Well, are you ready to become steadfast in mind? Are you ready to take the trappings off? Are you ready to learn how to live a life of faith. Learn to walk through life with the Psalms.
Did you know that Psalms is the only book mentioned in the New Testament that has a direct relevance to living a life of the Spirit. The book of Psalms was the praise book of both the Jews and the early Christians. Listen to Paul:
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” (Eph 5:18-19 NASB)
Think about it. And while you are thinking about it here is a song that will minister to your heart…
In love with Jesus,
Buddy
Views: 16
