“10Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. 11Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” — Psalm 32:10-11 (ESV)
I read here and only see part of the story. What is it that allows me to trust God and what is it that gives me the ability to rejoice and shout for joy? It is being “upright in heart”, but how to get there is the question I have to ask.
“1Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 5I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” — Psalm 32:1 & 5 (ESV)
And there you have it. I confess and acknowledge my sin to the LORD. I cannot reach the point of joy if I am still holding onto all of the sin in my life. I have to let it out and allow God to take them away from me. Jesus has already accepted responsibility and atoned for my sin, now it is my duty to accept responsibility by giving them over to God. He will forgive me, all I have to do is lay them at His feet. There is nothing more for me to do other than genuinely confess and acknowledge that I am a sinner and God will take it away from me.
Once I have confessed, God allows for my heart to be filled with Him. Once filled with God, joy will overflow and spill out of me. I have been forgiven and as such, I am now open to joy and rejoicing. I have been given the chance to be upright through repentance and joy fills and overflows from that place where sin once was.
What are you holding onto that may be preventing you from experiencing or expressing joy? Are you looking for something that will give you joy? What if you just emptied your heart of the sin by confessing and repenting and allowed God to fill and overflow from the place where sin once was?
Trevor's Thoughts 