Misery— And Relief!

Preacher:
Date: April 20, 2020

Speaker: Darlene Sala | Series: Encouraging Words | Remember when you were a kid and you’d done something wrong? You knew when you got home you’d have to face your parents—and take the consequences, so you took the longest route home, dragging your feet all the way. You were miserable.

Well, it doesn’t happen only when you’re a kid. When we’ve done something that we know displeases God, we’re also miserable—until we come home and settle it with Him.

David experienced all of that. You can read about it in Psalm 32.  He knew that he had done wrong, and for days he avoided dealing with it. It’s almost as though if he didn’t talk about it, the problem would go away. He describes his misery in these poetic words: “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer: (Psalm 32:3-4). Oh, yes, David, we know that feeling. It’s a guilty conscience, and it’s misery!

But, thank God, that’s not the end of the story. David decided to deal with his wrongdoing. He tells us, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Relief at last!

Maybe right now you are as miserable as David was.  You’re not on speaking terms with God because there’s an issue you and He need to settle—some sin that puts a barrier between you and Him. What are you waiting for? Quit dragging your feet. Right now, come home to the Father, confess your sin and find His forgiveness and restoration, His comfort and closeness.

Then, with David, you can say, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him” (Psalm 32:1-2).