Psalm 32 - Does Sin Silence God? - 2

"Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night Your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 
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.
Therefore, let all the godly pray to You while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For You are my hiding place; You protect me from trouble.  You surround me with songs of victory.
The LORD says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.'
Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey Him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!" (Psalm 32 NLT)

Hello, Mrs. Kurtz.  I read the verses that you had listed in the last post and realized some things: 
     I know I had asked about sin silencing God when we pray, referencing questions I had from the book (70 Years of Miracles), so your reference to Isaiah 59:2 and Psalm 66:18 clarify pretty bluntly: "It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, He has turned away and will not listen anymore" and "If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." The Bible not only explains separation overs sin, but also God's anger towards sin: "But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness". The Bible is clear that unrepentant sin limits our communication with God and angers Him. 
     Luckily, the Bible provides a solution later on Psalm 66--repentance. In the verses to follow, the Psalmist praises God for listening to his prayer. He came to God confessing his sin, and God was merciful and listened to his plea. This shows that the separation from God that I'm experiencing now doesn't have to be final. If I come to Him with a repentant heart, our relationship will be restored. 
     Another passage that resonated with me was Romans 7:21-25, "I have discovered this principle of life--that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: in my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin."
     I love how Paul writes so candidly of a Christian's battle with sin. He includes, "I love God's law with all my heart," but then goes on to discuss how his sinful nature often wins, despite his deep desire to follow God. Paul talks about being a slave to sin and seeking "freedom". He concludes, "the answer is Jesus Christ, our Lord". 
     I think that the reason I'm feeling so overwhelmed by sin right now is because God is showing me that the very things I enjoy and hold onto are what is preventing me from having a relationship with Him. God's goal is not to torment me, but rather to point me in the direction of bettering my relationship with Him. God is showing me that I need to repent.
     I think that I want to take steps toward repentance rather than the alternative... (cont'd, next blog)


Dear friend,
     On many occasions we've discussed the short-term and long-term effects of sin, and the consequences of ignoring the Spirit's nudging when He is speaking. We know that sin is wrong, and that it is destructive and debilitating. It takes us captive, changes our perspectives, deafens our ears to the Spirit, and puts a wedge in our relationship with God.

This quote has a powerful message, don't you think?

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith." (1 Peter 5:8-9)

"You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at your door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master." (Genesis 4:7)

Unfortunately, as you've mentioned on several occasions, 

sin is enticing. 

It draws us into a trap, 

dangling "irresistible" bait in front of us. 

It also seems to be habit-forming, 

causing a dependency and an unhealthy craving for more. Much like a drug addict, 

we are a slave to our habit, 

and we are often unable to think rationally about it. 

So, are we stuck, without a remedy?
Can we never escape?

Certainly not! As you correctly identified, the answer is Jesus Christ, our Lord. He provides the rescue, and He offers healing from sin. Praise Him! He willingly accepted OUR punishment for OUR sin, for OUR rebellion, for OUR sin-addiction. He chose to take the wrath, to die on the cross, to enter hell--to ensure our release! And, He rose again from the dead, that we might know that we can live freed from sin as well!

Before we look more at our need to repent and begin anew, I'd like to dig into some Scriptures with you. Some of these are repeated from the last post, but with a different reading focus (though I may reference only specific verses in a chapter, it's always a good idea to read the entire chapter for context):

Genesis 3 (the original sin) After Adam and Eve sinned, Who sought out whom? Did their sin silence God?
Psalm 139 (v. 23-24) Can we pray to God with sin in us? Will He hear us?
Isaiah 59 (v.1, 20, 21) Why did God send prophets to the disobedient people? Was He silent? What was the message?
Romans 3 (v.23-26) How are we made right with God?
Romans 5 (v. 6-8) When did God send Christ to die for us? (In what condition were we when He came?) Did our sin silence Him?
Hebrews 12 (v. 5-11) What is the purpose of discipline? How has our view of "discipline" been skewed/corrupted by the world's ideas/philosophies?

• Is God always silent when we sin? 

• Who acts first? God or the sinner? 

• What do we learn about God from these passages? How would you describe Him? Is he irrational? impersonal? intolerant?   

Heavenly Father, You are good, and all Your ways are perfect! We thank and praise You. We cannot give You a gift, for You are Lord of all creation. All that we have already belongs to You. But we give to You ourselves, even in our weakened, sin-corrupted state. We offer ourselves to You, and we ask You to make us like You, make us holy, help us to escape the traps of sin. Will You fill us with Your Holy Spirit? We long to be like You!

"Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He did for me. For I cried out to Him for help, praising Him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me." 

(Psalm 66:16-20 NLT)

I'm leaving the lyrics and the song linked here. They continue to minister to my heart, 

and I pray that they will minister to you as well.