Why are some Christians unhappy when others always seem to be full of joy? The answer may be found in this psalm. David starts by saying, “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”! Psalm 32: 1-2 (NLT). David doesn’t mean living in complete honesty with people; he is referring to complete honesty with God. God is the one who sees all of our sins, and He is the one we must deal with. John makes it clear that all of us commit sin, and, if we confess our sins to God, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness”. 1 John 1:8-10 (NLT).
David describes what happened when he tried to hide his sins. “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.” Psalm 32: 2-6 (NLT). In 1 Samuel chapters 15 and 16, we find that because of King Saul’s disobedience to God’s direction, Samuel the prophet anointed a shepherd boy named David to become the next king of Israel. Chapter 16:13-14 (NLT) states, “. . .And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. . .Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.” Many Christians have or are experiencing signs of mental illness because of unrepentance of known sins. While this is true, we cannot claim that all mental illness is due to sin; mental illness may be caused by other factors, and we are not to judge others but to examine ourselves and make sure we have confessed our sins.
David finishes this psalm with admonitions about doing the right thing. He reminds us that . . .”unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the Lord”. Verse 10.