Merciful Protection

Scripture:
I acknowledged my sin to You,
    and my iniquity I did not conceal.
I said, “I will confess
    my transgressions to the Lord,”
and You forgave
    the iniquity of my sin. Selah
For this cause everyone who is godly will pray to You
    in a time when You may be found;
surely in the floods of great waters
    they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
    You will preserve me from trouble;
    You will surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
Psalm 32:5-7

Observation: The psalmist (David) explicitly ponders the idea of God's forgiveness, and comes to a wonderful image of that mercy. Upon request, God forgives sins. However, even greater than that, God then becomes a refuge - a hiding place - where one may seek protection and delivery from the bad things of the world as a result of that same mercy. God is not a judge to hid from in shame. Instead, when we have confessed our sins, God becomes a merciful protectors and deliverer.

Selah.

Application: In my mind and heart, I am sinning way too much, and I feel ashamed even by the thoughts in my head. I am so angry at others, so judgmental of others. In my head is a fantasy world where my "what if's" are contrary to God's ways. And I am ashamed of all this.

However, David would tell me that, by turning to God and confessing my sins, my situation is not to be feared. Rather, God will embrace me and protect me. I would prefer that I turn away and repent of the sin, focusing my mental energy on meditating on the word of God. However, true mercy and forgiveness is critical as well.

Prayer: Father, please do forgive me. Please forgive my anger, my harsh tone and words, my evil thoughts. I seek to repent of all that. In the meantime, please wrap me in your protection, and allow your spirit to protect me from the inside out. Amen.