Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

August 27
Tuesday


SURROUNDED
BY MERCY

READ:
Psalm 32
___________________________________________________________________________________

He who trusts in the
LORD, mercy shall
surround him.
__Psalm 32:10
___________________________________________________________________________________

It was almost impossible not to see the giant billboard with the red background and huge white letters that shouted: "This year thousands of men will die from stubbornness," Later I learned that the billboard was one of hundreds just like it targeted at middle-aged men who typically avoid routine medical screenings and often die from preventable conditions.

Psalm 32 deals with the spiritual disease of sin, which can be treated by honest acknowledgment and repentance. The first five verses express teh anguish of hiding our guilt and then celebrate the joyful release of confessing our transgressions to God and being forgiven.

This psalm goes on to show that the Lord longs for us to seek His help in difficulty (vv.6-8) and receive His guidance. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye" (v.8). We are hindered, though, when we stubbornly refuse to follow His direction and repent from our sin.

God's Word urges us, "Do not be like the horse or like the mule,...which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you" )v.9). Rather than hold on to our sin the Lord offers an alternative: When we humbly confess , His mercy shall surround us (v.10). __david McCasland

`````````````````````Heavenly Father, help us now``````````````````
``````````````````````At Thy feet to humbly bow;```````````````````
`````````````````````Take away all thought of sin,``````````````````
````````````````Make us clean and pure within. __Bartels``````````````
______________________________________________________________________________________
Teh first step to receiving God's forgiveness
is to admit that we need it.

**********Today's Bible Reading __ Psalm 32*****************

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.

8 I will instruct you and
teach you in the way you
should go; I will guide you
with My eye. 9 Do not be
like the horse or like the
mule, which have no
understanding, which must
be harnessed with bit and
bridle, else they will not
come near you.

10 Many sorrows shall be to
the wicked; but he who
trusts in the LORD, mercy
shall surround him. 11 Be
glad in the LORD and rejoice,
you righteous; and shout for
joy, all you upright in heart!

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

Long after he committed adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11-12).
David still had not repented. Confronted by Nathan the prophet,
David confessed and repented of these sins (12:1-14). Out of this
painful experience, David wrote Psalms 32 and 51, confessing the
evil done and celebrating God's forgiveness.