Covering Sinkholes

February 20, 2014 — by Marvin Williams

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Read: Psalm 32:1-5

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. —Psalm 32:1

Bible in a Year:
Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2

In late May 2010, tropical storm Agatha hit Central America, producing torrential rains and landslides. Once it finished its course, a 200-foot-deep sinkhole opened in downtown Guatemala City. This sinkhole caused the ground to collapse suddenly, sucking land, electrical poles, and a 3-story building into the depths of the earth.

Though sinkholes can be devastating, the most universal and damaging sinkhole is the one that happens in the human heart. King David was an example of this.

The surface of David’s life looked stable; however, his interior life rested on a fragile foundation. After his sins of adultery and murder, David thought he had successfully hidden his treacherous acts (2 Sam. 11–12). However, God’s intense conviction after Nathan’s confrontation caused him to realize that denying the presence of sin in his life weakened the foundation of his spiritual life. To prevent this spiritual sinkhole from worsening, David acknowledged his sin to God in repentance (Ps. 32:5). As a result, God covered David’s sin and gave him the joy of forgiveness.

We too will experience God’s grace when we confess our sins to Him. He will completely forgive and cover our spiritual sinkholes.

Thinking It Over
What habitual sins, secret addictions, or hidden
vulnerabilities are weakening your interior life?
Remember, God longs to give you complete forgiveness.

When we uncover our sins in repentance God will cover them.

Insight

Psalm 32 is one of the seven penitential psalms (Pss. 6,38,51,102,130,143), which are prayers confessing sins and turning to the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness. For about a year after his adultery with Bathsheba, David refused to admit that he had sinned—that is, until the prophet Nathan confronted him (2 Sam. 11–12). As a result, David penned Psalms 32 and 51. In today’s psalm, David celebrates the forgiveness he received (vv.1-2), warns of the terrible burden of living with unconfessed sins (vv.3-4), and encourages sinners to repent or face chastening by the Lord (vv.3-6,8-11). In the New Testament, Paul quotes Psalm 32:1-2 to show how God forgives sinners—by grace through faith alone (see Rom. 4:6-8).