Mixtapes Reading Plan – W2D5
Check out all the previous Mixtapes readings here.
Mixtapes Reading | Week 2 | Day 5
Prayer
As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Thank Jesus that he came to save you!
Bible Reading: Psalm 32
Read these verses three times slowly.
Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
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.
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
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.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Reflection & Questions
Our psalm today is the beautiful picture of salvation and the kind of relationship that God wants with us.
In his amazing mercy, God doesn’t let his children have peace in their sin. “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away…my strength was sapped,” the psalmist writes. But when he confessed, mercy and forgiveness came rushing in.
This opened the door for God to become his “hiding place.” This is an incredible image of God. So many see God as the one to hide from. Adam and Eve sinned and hid from the Lord. Peter, when he experienced Jesus’ amazing power, said “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For the forgiven one though, God isn’t one to hide from, but someone to hide in. He becomes a shelter, a protector and defender. What a privilege!
In the last paragraph of the psalm, the voice changes from the psalmist, to the voice of God. And His tenderness is clear. “I will instruct you and teach you… I will counsel you with my loving eye on you,” He says. Incredible! But how well the Lord knows our hearts, for then He says, “Do not be like the horse or the mule [who]..must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” The Lord knows our hearts will still be bent to move away from Him. We can easily become stubborn and keep our distance. The Lord invites us to come close. He’s proven Himself to be our merciful savior. How will we respond?
- What words or phrases stick out to you from this psalm? Why?
- Do you sometimes have a hard time drawing close to God? Why? Talk to Him about it.
Prayer
Talk to God in response to the reading today.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate