OUR DAILY BREAD : LASTING REGRETS

[cimi]

July 22
Tuesday


LASTING
REGRETS

READ:
Psalm 32:1-7
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When I kept silent, my
bones grew old through
my groaning all the day
long. __Psalm 32:3
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While I was talking with a gifted pianist, she asked me if I played any musical instruments. When I responded, "I play the radio, she laughed and asked if I had ever wanted to play any instrument. My embarrassed answer was, "I took piano lessons as a boy but gave it up." Now, in my adult years, I regret not continuing with the piano. I love music and wish I could play today. That conversation was a fresh reminder to me that life is often constituted by the choices we make__and some of them produce regret.

Some choices produce much more serious and painful regrets. King David discovered this when he chose to sleep with another man's wife and then killed that man. He described the guilt that filled him as devastating, saying, "When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer'" (Ps. 32:3-4). But David acknowledged and confessed his sin to God and found forgiveness (v.5).

It is only from God that we can receive the grace of forgiveness when our choices have produced painful regrets. And only in him do we find the wisdom to make better choices. __Bill crowder

``````````````````Father of mercies, forgive me for the foolish choices`````````````````````
````````````````````I have made. Please enable me to be wiser in````````````````````````
`````````````````````my choices. Teach me the value of resting`````````````````````````
``````````````````````````````````in Your grace.`````````````````````````````````````
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God's forgiveness frees us from the chains of regret.

****************************Today's Bible Reading __ Psalm 32:1-7******************************

1 Blessed is he whose
transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man to
whom the LORD does not
impute iniquity, and in
whose spirit there is no
deceit.

3 When I kept silent,, my
bones grew old through my
groaning all the day long.

4 For day and night Your
hand was heavy upon me;
my vitality was turned into
the drought of summer.

5 I acknowledged my sin to
You, and my iniquity I have
not hidden. I said, "I will
confess my transgressions
to the LORD," and You
forgave the iniquity of
my sin.

6 For this cause everyone
who is godly shall pray to
you in a time when you
may be found; surely in a
flood of great waters they
shall not come near him.

7 You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from
trouble; You shall surround
me with songs of
deliverance.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

For about a year after his adultery with Bathsheba, David refused to
repent of his sins (covetousness, adultery, deceit, and murder) until
the prophet Nathan confronted him (2 Sam. 11-13). David penned
psalms 32 and 51 thereafter. In today's psalm, David speaks of the
heavy burden of guilt in his year-long denial of sin (vv.3-4). He also
tells of the joy of receiving God's gift of forgiveness when, with a
contrite heart, he confesses and repents (vv.1-2,5) and becomes
receptive to God's rule in his life (vv.7-11). Warning of God's
disciplining hand (v.4), David urges all who have sinned to repent
without delay (v.6).