Mindy Lee Hopman

I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a canceled note – torn in two and burned up so that it never can be shown against one. – Henry Ward Beecher

A Blessing of Forgiveness

How the Blessing Happens

While Psalm one speaks of the result of being blessed, Psalm 32 speaks of the cause of blessedness. 

God’s blessing is a gift that comes to those who admit they have walked away when they return to the one true God.

Psalm 32

Through Psalm 32, David gives us instruction on turning back to God to obtain oneness which brings peace and freedom we all desire. 

Psalm 32 (NASB) 
How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is a person whose guilt the LORD does not take into account,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
When I kept silent about my sin; my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And I did not hide my guilt;
I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the LORD”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Certainly, in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place; You keep me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will advise you with My eye upon you.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise, they will not come near to you.
The sorrows of the wicked are many,
But the one who trusts in the LORD, goodness will surround him.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Forgiveness Begins with Belief 

David begins Psalm 32 by saying, blessed are those God forgives! What is the pathway to blessedness?
Blessedness begins with belief!

It is often quoted, “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 (NASB) 

In the Old Testament, I love how God is always David’s refuge. David understands, as a result of the fall, every human is born with a sin-nature. David confessess his sin and turns to God for forgiveness. 

The Good News

The Good News is, the New Testament shows us how God sent His Son to pay the price for humanity’s sin. God forgave humankind when He sent His Son to die on the cross in our place as the final sacrifice, once and for all. Can you even imagine this? God’s ultimate sacrifice is our Good News! God sent His Son to die as a blood sacrifice so I would not have to die in my sin. Jesus is our refuge.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

He sent His Son for me, and He sent His Son for you.

The first step to blessedness is to believe God sent His Son for you! While we are born with sin, we also carry the weight of our own sin. No sin is so deep that the blood of Jesus cannot cover it. Sin affects us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. David says, when he kept quiet about his sins, his bones wasted away, and the sin zapped his strength!

I have been there, have you? Sin affects us individually and collectively; it affects how we function on our teams: our families, our sports teams, our work teams, and our friendships. 

He already knows how far we have each strayed from Him. Like Adam and Eve when they ate the apple and hid – God knew what they did, and He knew where they were! We cannot outrun God! He pursued me, and He pursues YOU! The goodness of God runs after us! 

Psalm 32 deals with our transgressions (what we have done wrong) and our sin – when we choose to go our own way instead of following God’s way. If we have a target with a bullseye in the middle, it’s like we took the archer’s arrow, shot it, and completely missed the mark. And here’s the thing, when we go our own way, sin stinks. The smell of sin is like a dead rat that has been caught in the trap for days. You have to get rid of its presence physically! Throw its existence to another place! Because God is holy, and you can’t be in His holy presence if you stink from carrying the weight of sin! 

Believe, Then Confess 

Remember the Good News: Jesus came to rescue us from our sin yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is listening. The process of admitting sin to God in repentance is for your heart to let it go! The first time we turn back to Jesus, He saves us as His own forever by sealing us with the powerful Holy Spirit.

The mercy seat is the way to heaven for all who shall ever come there. -Charles Spurgeon

After we accept Jesus as our Savior, our sin is covered forever, and He becomes the Lord of our lives. We look to him for guidance, counsel, direction, and discernment, just as David did, but just as David did, we still make mistakes. Each time we mess up, God wants us to come back to Him to remember His unconditional love, mercy, and grace. The process of turning back to God in repentance allows our focus to shift from our self to our Savior.  Grace is undeserved favor. We get what we don’t deserve. Mercy is when we don’t get what we deserve. God has taken the price of sin, which is death, for us. 

When we stray from His presence, He longs for you to come back. He weeps that you are missing out on His love, protection, and provision. He throws His arms open, runs toward you, gathers you up, and welcomes you home. -Charles Stanley

Psalm 103:2-4, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”

The FOUR

In the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), we call the process of salvation THE FOUR: God loves us. Sin divides us. Jesus rescues us. Will you choose to follow Him? 

A Blessing of JOY and Peace 

Peace that transcends all understanding comes from the freedom found in forgiveness. This space is where the blessing is found. Peace comes from knowing you have received mercy from God, which creates an intimacy or oneness with God that results in deep, abiding joy, or naches, as my grandfather would say. 

And lovingkindness will surround you in every other aspect of your life. 

Coaches, athletes, administrators, teachers, friends, and family, you’ve got this today because He has you! 

These truth’s come from God’s Word.
God’s Word is true.
God’s Word is enough. 

You are so loved. I am praying for you.
Happy Monday! 

 

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