Daily Devotional – July 17-23
July 17 – Meditating on God’s Word
This devotional series offers less content but more opportunity for you to reflect, contemplate, and pray through the short Scriptures we offer. It is an opportunity to help us slow down and enjoy time in the presence of God. It is an exercise in listening with the intent of hearing from God through His Word and by His Spirit. Here is the passage for the week:
Psalm 32:1-5, Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 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.
Prayer: “Lord, your blessings come to those whose sins are forgiven and atoned for. What a relief it is to know that You do not hold our sin against us. What great benefit it is when we have no deceit within us. Whenever I fail to admit my sin, my whole body is affected. Your conviction stays upon me and I have no strength. However, when I humble myself and confess my sin, You forgive me and relief returns to my soul. Praise be to You Lord! Amen.”
July 18 – Meditating on God’s Word
Psalm 32:1, Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Write out the Scripture. (As it is or in your own words.)
“Blessings come to the one whose transgressions are forgiven and whose sins are atoned for.”
Observe what it is saying. (Answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions)
King David, the author of this psalm, knew what he was speaking about. He had many opportunities to experience God’s forgiveness since he openly confessed his sin to God and to us through his writings. God gives us a tremendous spiritual peace when we know He has taken care of our sin and forgiven us. The blessings of God are able to flow into His people when they have a right standing before Him.
Relate it to your life. (Connect how this Scripture speaks into your life today.)
What David didn’t have was Jesus’ sacrifice and gift that has decidedly covered our sin and forgiven us by His shed blood. When we have placed our faith in Jesus, we can rest and relax in the knowledge of God’s grace that cleanses our consciences because our sin has been infinitely separated from us as far as the east is from the west.
Do something. (Pray it. Live it. Act on it.)
“Jesus, thank You for the blessings that flow through forgiveness. To have confidence that our forgiveness is dependent upon what You have done and not what we do is a huge relief and confidence-booster of how we stand before our Father in heaven. Praise be to You! Amen.”
July 19 – Meditating on God’s Word
Psalm 32:2, Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
Write out the Scripture.
“Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”
Observe what it is saying.
David keeps on revealing that the blessed life is the one that no longer has sin separating us from God. Because our sins are forgiven and covered over by the blood of Christ, the Lord no longer holds them against us. They are no longer remembered by heaven. David adds to this thought that blessings come to the one in which there is no deceit. In other words, the result of confession is a clean slate where one’s life is an open book before God.
Relate it to your life.
I have confidence when I’m forgiven that God no longer considers my sin a thing. They’re gone.
Do something.
“Lord, thank you for the blessing of forgiveness that makes all things good between us. Amen.”
July 20 – Meditating on God’s Word
Psalm 32:3, When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
Write out the Scripture.
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”
Observe what it is saying.
David turns to what life is like when there is unconfessed sin in one’s life. The blessing is gone. When he had sinned and did not tell God about it, he felt the guilt and the shame, and it continually caused great anguish within him. It was such a tremendous force on him that he felt its effects in his physical body.
Relate it to your life.
Unconfessed sin is a disease that affects my whole being. To be well and whole, I cannot keep silent. I must tell God how I messed up and seek his forgiveness.
Do something.
“Father, I don’t want to keep silent. I confess to you my known sin and my unknown sin. I ask for your Spirit to bring to mind all sin so that I can tell you specifically how I have failed you. Amen.”
July 21 – Meditating on God’s Word
Psalm 32:4, For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Write out the Scripture.
“For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.”
Observe what it is saying.
David is very descriptive of how unconfessed sin and unresolved guilt terribly affects one’s life. He describes this feeling as the heavy hand of God causing his strength to be wiped out just as one feels on a hot summer day. Conviction is the loving work of God within our souls letting us know that unconfessed sin is present and needs to be dealt with.
Relate it to your life.
Such conviction is a gift from God so that I will deal with sin. God’s love is a love that refuses to let me go so He has built in a guilty conscience when I go astray so I will come back to Him.
Do something.
“Lord, thank You for loving me so much that You let me know when I have sinned and need to confess to You. May I receive and not reject your efforts to reach me. Amen.”
July 22 – Meditating on God’s Word
Psalm 32:5, 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.
Write out the Scripture.
“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and didn’t cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Observe what it is saying.
David became spiritually awakened and finally spoke about his sin to the Lord, He experienced the power of God’s forgiveness to set him free from guilt and all of its debilitating manifestations.
Relate it to your life.
I need to be quick to confess my sin to the Lord so that there is no brokenness in my fellowship with Him. Through the miracle of forgiveness, peace and joy are restored to my soul!
Do something.
“Lord, I confess to You my sin __________. Thank You for Your forgiveness and relief. Amen.”