In Psalm 32, David tells us how to be happy: “The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered over, is truly happy!”
Scripture:
2 Samuel, chapters 15-16; Psalm 32; Matthew, chapter 25
Psalm 32 (CEB):
The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered over, is truly happy! The one the Lord doesn’t consider guilty – in whose spirit there is no dishonesty – that one is truly happy!
When I kept quiet, my bones wore out; I was groaning all day long – every day, every night! – because your hand was heavy upon me. My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. So I admitted my sin to. You; I didn’t conceal my guilt. “I’ll confess my sins to the Lord,” is what I said. Then you removed the guilt of my sin. That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times, so that a great flood of water won’t reach them. You are my secret hideout! You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of rescue!
I will instruct you and teach you about the direction you should go. I’ll advise you and keep my eye on you. Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule, whose movement must be controlled with a bit and a bridle. Don’t be anything like that! The pain of the wicked is severe, but faithful love surrounds the one who trusts the Lord. You who are righteous, rejoice in the Lord and be glad! All you whose hearts are right, sing out in joy!
Observations: How to Be Happy
In yesterday’s reflection, I talked about happy servants that focus on doing God’s will each day (“Happy Servants”). Today, in our reading from Psalm 32, David gives us a plain and simple explanation of how to be happy. The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered over, is truly happy! Seems simple enough, right? So how do we do that? What steps do we need to take so our wrongdoing is forgiven…sin covered over?
Step 1: “I admitted my sin to You”
In verse 5, David tells us the first step: I admitted my sin to You; I didn’t conceal my guilt. “I’ll confess my sins to the Lord,” is what I said. As long as we are unwilling to admit that we’ve sinned, we won’t find forgiveness. How can God forgive us if we didn’t do anything wrong? More to the point, why would we ask God to forgive us seek if we were convinced we hadn’t done anything wrong?
Here’s the problem: the fact of our sin doesn’t rely our on acknowledgment of it:
- “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23).
- “If we claim, ‘We don’t have any sin,’ we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).
The Bible makes God’s commandments plain to us. There is only totally sinless person: Jesus Christ, our great high priest. He did not sin, even though he “was tempted in every way that we are” (Hebrews 4:15).
So the first step is to admit our sin, and ask God’s forgiveness. Good news: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong” (1 John 1:9).
Step 2: “Pray to God during troubled times”
In verse 6, David writes, “That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times.” Now, we shouldn’t limit our prayers to times of trouble, but we should allow our struggles to prompt us to seek God’s help. Contrary to what many people believe, troubles are not necessarily a sign of God’s disfavor. In fact, Jesus told his disciples that we will have trouble in this world (John 16:33). But he didn’t stop there! He also encouraged them with the reminder that he has conquered the world.
So when troubles come – as they will – we need to trust in God’s presence, strength, and faithfulness. That doesn’t mean that the problems just vanish; it means that Jesus walks with us through the problems and brings us safely through them.
Now, if we only pray during times of trouble, we will not develop the discipline of trusting God in all situations that we need. Developing that trust is what enables us to be at peace in the midst of the storms. In John 14:1, Jesus told his disciples to trust God and him (my paraphrase). We have to learn to trust him in the good times so we will trust him in the tough times.
Step 3: “Don’t Be Like Some Senseless Mule!”
The third step comes in verse 9: “Don’t be like some senseless horse or mule, whose movement must be controlled with a bit and a bridle. Don’t be anything like that!” So what exactly does that mean?
God promises us to lead us in the path he has chosen for us. “I will instruct you and teach you in the direction you should go” (verse 8). For many people, it’s easy to pray “Jesus, take the wheel!” only to take the wheel back as soon as the car’s back on the road. But our track record shows that at some point we’ll drive it right back into the ditch!
God doesn’t control us with a bit and a bridle. He wants us to learn to trust him, not to just respond to whatever happens to us. We need to cultivate the ability to hear and recognize the Holy Spirit’s voice (that’s one reason why regular prayer is so important). Isaiah says it this way: “People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. God will certainly be merciful to you. Hearing the sound of your outcry, God will answer you. Though the Lord gives you the bread of distress and the water of oppression, your teacher will no longer hide, but you will see your teacher. If you stray to the right or the left, you will hear a word that comes from behind you: ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:19-21, emphasis added).
Application – How to Be Happy
I believe that God is reminding us that his way is best for us. True happiness comes when we walk in his way, rather than chasing meaning and purpose apart from him. He created us to be in relationship with him. Sin ruptures that relationship; true happiness depends on allowing God to address our sin.
But we also have to remember that walking in God’s way will keep us from falling back into sin. I referenced a couple of verses from 1 John chapter 1 earlier, but now I want to add a couple more verses to supply the context:
“If we claim, ‘We don’t have any sin,’ we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong. If we claim, ‘We have never sinned,’ we make him a liar and his word is not in us. My little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you don’t sin. But if you do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is God’s way of dealing with our sins, not only ours but the sins of the whole world. This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments” (1 John 1:8 – 2:3, emphasis added).
Real happiness comes from knowing God’s forgiveness, and walking in his way! (See Psalm 1:1).
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the forgiveness that we can receive through Jesus Christ. As Paul writes in Romans 5:8, you showed your love for us by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. Forgiveness is a gift from you. We don’t deserve it. Help us to receive that gift with joy and gladness.
Thank you also for the gift of your Holy Spirit, who leads us in your way each day. Through the Spirit’s presence in us, we know true peace – a peace that the world can’t give and can’t understand. True happiness comes from knowing that you have forgiven us. As David writes in verse 1, “The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered over, is truly happy!” Thank you for the true happiness that only comes from you. Amen.
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