David Bahn – Reflections

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Pardon this departure from my normal Sunday practice of posting Psalms for praying on the Lord’s Day. I noticed that Psalm 32 is part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas appointed for today. So I take this opportunity to post this reflection on that psalm alone. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Genesis 22-24; Psalm 32.

Psalm 32

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

⁵ I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

⁶ Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
⁷ You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
⁹ Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

¹⁰ Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
¹¹ Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32 is a beautiful reminder of the richness of God’s love and grace. He forgives our sins. He gives us life and salvation. He does that through his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and his suffering and death and resurrection.

Jesus’ death provides the forgiveness we need more desperately then we realize. His resurrection brings us life, for Jesus is the firstfruits of all who die in faith. And when he comes again on the Great Last Day, we will fully experience his salvation.

My normal practice is to post psalms corresponding with the day of the month on Sundays. Today it would have been Psalm 1; 31; 61; 91; 121. Those are beautiful and worthy psalms to pray on this Lord’s Day. But Psalm 32 (the appointed psalm for our Follow the Word is worthy as well. I commend you to both the appointed psalms, as well as to this beautiful one.

God’s invitation through this psalm is in the last verse:

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! – Psalm 32:11

We are upright in heart and righteous only through faith in Jesus. So let us be glad and rejoice in God’s salvation through faith in his Son – this day and every day.