“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”– and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. 11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalms 32:1-11 NIV
According to the Amplified Bible, when you are blessed you are happy, fortunate and to be envied. The most wonderful thing that can happen to us is to have our sins permanently washed away by the blood of Jesus and to know that we have God’s forgiveness permanently exercised upon us. It is awesome to know that any sins – past, present and future – are not held against us as long as we confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness. By rights, we should all pay for our own sins and transgressions with our lives, but thank God, Jesus paid the price for us.
Nothing in the whole world can compare with the joy of a heart that is at peace with God because it is forgiven! No money, alcohol, drugs, fame or power can compare with the experience of the favor of God together with the joy of a clean heart.
When we have sin in our lives, we cannot be truly happy until we confess it to God. The most unhappy situation we can be in is to be living with unconfessed sin.
We must be sorry for our sin, admit that we are wrong and ask God to forgive us. God is just waiting and longing to forgive us – He is just waiting for us to take a step toward Him. He took the first step – He offered Jesus up as a guilt-offering on our behalf. The next move is ours. We can live in great peace, in spite of our outward circumstances, as long as we know that we have the favor of God upon our lives.
We must acknowledge all our sin and not try to hide anything from Him and He will instantly forgive us. When you walk in the knowledge of the total and complete forgiveness of God on your life, the waters of adversity are not able to overwhelm your spirit. When we are stubborn and unteachable, we will have many troubles and problems, but if we walk in God’s ways, we will also walk in His protection and guidance.
When we trust God with our lives enough to lay down what we want and to bow our knee in repentance, then we will experience His preservation and His joy. The wicked have no peace, but the righteous walk in continual peace and joy.
