Confession and Restoration – a meditation on Psalm 32

There are two great confession Psalms written for us by David.  One is Psalm 51 and the other is Psalm 32.  I would like to lead you through one of these today in a meditative prayer format, and I hope that you can experience a rich time with God through it.  Psalm 32 has many “Selah” breaks in it.  This is an interlude break for you to pause and calmly think about what you have just read.  Don’t forget, Psalms are songs; so it’s like a musical interlude between the stanzas.  We will use the Selah breaks to stop, think about what we have just read, and then make the progression to the next step.

I would like you to use a meditation method that I have found works very well for me.  This has helped me think about what Scriptural meditation is, since there are many other forms of ‘meditation’ out there that confuse us.  What Scriptural meditation isn’t: relaxation, emptying your mind, lotus position kind of stuff.  True meditation on God’s word focuses your mind on God; it reads a verse and then thinks through it word by word asking God to help you understand its meaning.  When the Bible talks about meditation it is talking about this kind of conscious thinking through what God is saying in a passage and letting it speak to you rather than you trying to control the text.

So, begin with a prayer asking God to speak to you.  Give your mind and heart to Him.  Ask the Holy Spirit to sanctify your mind and imagination.  If you are distracted, picture yourself handing those things to God and releasing them.

Psalm 32 – NLT

A psalm^[a] of David

IDENTIFY WHERE I WANT TO BE vs WHERE I AM

¹ Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
² Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
³ When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
⁴ Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

SELAH – go back and re-read the Identify section. How do you identify with David in his confession?  Is there a verse that God is speaking directly to you?  Meditate on that verse.  Linger until you feel the Spirit prompting you to move on.

CONFESSION

⁵ Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

SELAH – What do you need to confess?  Calmly meditate on this verse and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your sin.  Confess it to the Lord

RESTORATION

⁶ Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
⁷ For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory.

SELAH – What resonates with you in these verses?  Meditate and offer your own prayer of thanks to God.  Acknowledge what He has done and tell Him which of His attributes you are relying on right now. (Protector, Healer, Comforter, Strength, etc)

GUIDANCE AND REJOICING

⁸ The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
⁹ Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

¹⁰ Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
¹¹ So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

SELAH – Meditate on these final verses.  Write your own prayer to God in thankfulness, and respond to His promise of guidance, advice and watchful care.