THE SHOUT OF A FORGIVEN MAN

Forgiveness is an emotion that defies description. It is the relief of an enormous burden lifted, of a debt canceled, of a conscience at rest. Guilt is gone and peace is enjoyed. To King David, it meant the forgiveness of his great transgressions that he had tried to hide and the cleansing of his spirit from deceit. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and plotted the death of her husband Uriah. He steadfastly refused to confess his sins. He tried to sweep it all under the rug.  Maybe he thought that “time would heal” everything. He became a physical wreck. Nothing seemed to work out right for him anymore.

What happened? David’s conscience started to bother him. Physically, mentally and spiritually David was wasting away because of his un-confessed sins. He was under great distress. He finally came to the place in his life where he dealt with his sins. David made a full confession of his sins to God and asked for forgiveness. He came totally clean with the Lord. David opened his heart to God in transparent honesty and held nothing back. He poured out his heart to God and he was forgiven. This was the first step in achieving spiritual contentment.

David wrote Psalm Chapter 32. While David was trying to hide his sins, the worry and fear that he would be found out took a physical toll on his body. He wrote that “God’s hand was heavy” upon him. (Psalm 32:4) NIV This is a reference to God’s chastisement He became like an old man physically. He finally came to the place where he was willing to acknowledge his sins & confess his transgressions to the Lord. (Psalm 32:5) NIV The one who had been so hard and impenitent is now contrite and broken. With deep gratitude he acknowledges that God is his “hiding place.” Whether we like it or not, there is a heavy spiritual and physical price to pay for un-confessed sins in our lives.

David could talk about “joy” in his life by the end of Psalm chapter 32. He had experienced relief after being burdened with the terrible sins in his life. He was able to worship and praise the Lord again. Why? He solved his “sin problem” the right way. He told the truth about his sins and cast them down before the Lord. He got it into the open and God forgave him.

David was a man of faith despite all his weaknesses, fears, doubts and sins. His life illustrates a trust in God and an intense desire to know Him. Because of these qualities, God was able to use David mightily, molding and shaping him into “A man after His own heart.” (Acts 13:22) KJV

Various people have various problems. We all have our own sad problems of pain, heartache, suffering, and trouble. While it is true that we all have burdens, which vary from person to person, there is one common denominator. There is one reality with which we all struggle day by day. We all must deal with “sin.” There are only two ways to deal with sin, man’s way or God’s way. If we deal with sin man’s way, we will try to hide it. When we handle our sins God’s way, then it is handled correctly. It will cease to bring pain and destruction into our lives & we will experience spiritual contentment.