BLOWN IT

Psalm 32:1-11
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

A Psalm of David.

1 Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Interlude

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory.
Interlude

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Every one of us can look back at our lives and find a point where we have blown it. Is our integrity gone forever? Absolutely not! Integrity is having a Godly standard … a moral center … which integrates ones behavior. When that standard is violated, it is recognized as sin. The sin is confessed … restitution is made … forgiveness is sought … the Godly standard is reconfirmed.

Integrity does not require perfection. David was far from perfect but he consistently held to the Godly standard. Psalm 32, 40 and 51 revealed that sin broke David’s heart. He pleaded for forgiveness … took his lumps … learned and grew. God referred to him as a man who walked with a heart of integrity (1st Kings 9:4).