PSALM 138 (21st Century King James Version)

 Psalm 138

21st Century King James Version

138: ¹  I will praise Thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto Thee.

² I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth, for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.

³ In the day when I cried, Thou answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall praise Thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of Thy mouth.

⁵ Yea, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly, but the proud He knoweth afar off.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.

⁸ The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of Thine own hands.

true intimacy with God ◄ Psalm 138:2 ►

 Discover the mystery behind God's power, the price of true intimacy with God, and what sustains a ministry under heavy divine grace. 

Be blessed, challenged, and inspired as these powerful truths are unveiled.

So after going through several rounds of interview the final round they come to face me. So l asked this young girl a question. " Tell me, my dear daughter, how did you get saved?" She looked at me and she just stared at me  for a long time and then she said I was born Christian. 

So I said, "Dear daughter, there is no such thing as a born Christian." She said, "No, uncle. My father is the pastor. My mother is another pastor. My brother plays the keyboard in the church. My siblings do this. My uncle is this. My aunt is this. That's where I was born." 

 So you may be born in a Christian family. That does not make you a Christian. 

 Everyone must be born again. Amen. 

You must confess the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and repent of all your sins. Thereby  you become born again. This the first step. 

 Subsequent experience to the born again involves another two processes. John 3:5, Jesus answered, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." 

Now comes phase two. First, you're born again, you can now see the kingdom of God, which means you can see it afar. 

Yes. 

 When the children of Israel were walking around the wilderness, they could see Canaan from afar. Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land. But the Lord allowed him to see the promised land from afar. 

Now you can see the kingdom of God by your spirit. But you cannot enter in yet. To enter in you need two other processes. 

 And what are the two other processes? Born of water. First process. What does it mean born of water? Is it water baptism? Not quite there. I used to think it was water baptism and born of the spirit was holy spirit baptism. But when I matured then I realized that was not the real thing. 

Although that was the external act of the born-again experience. To be born of water means born of the Word of God. A wash by the Word of God in your everyday life. 

Ephesians 5:26 says the Word of God is like water that washes you daily. 

Is there anyone here? Now I'm going to ask you a question. I expect a very honest and sincere answer. Can I trust you? Are you honest people? AIl right. How many of you take a shower every day? Okay. I see some hands are not up. That's okay. That's okay, you know. Okay. How many of you take a shower once a week? One hand goes up. Two hands once a week. You only bathe once a week. How many? Okay. Only one hand went up. How many bathe once a month? Another hand went up. Okay. I don't know whether you understand that question or not or you're just making fun of me. Whichever it is. All right. My final question. How many of you bathe once a year? If l ask this question in Tibet, everyone's hand will go up because they bathe once a year. Because they believe only sinners bathe every day. The good people they don't bathe every day, only once a year. So anyways, you bathe every day. Why do we do that? 

Because they're dirt pollutants on the body. So you want to wash your body every day so that you can be clean. But how do you wash your soul? 

You wash on the outside. 

What about your soul that you corrupt every moment? You corrupt every day. How do you wash your soul? 

The word of God. Amen. Ephesians 5:26. 

Hearing the Word of God brings conviction of sin. Luke 3:3 to 7 and 10 to 14. All Israel were gathered by Judea to hear the powerful messages preached by John the Baptist. And when they heard the Word, they were deeply convicted in their heart of the sin. It convicted them of the rottness in their soul, the uncleanness in their soul. The Word convicted them. The born again experience is only through the convicting power of the Word of God. Nothing else can do that. Now by practicing the word of God, Joshua 1:8, 

Psalms 1 verse 1 and 2 says, "Meditate the word of God day and night." When you meditate the Word of God day and night, the Word will begin to cleanse you. The Word will begin to cleanse and wash your soul of all filthiness in your soul. 

 And only the Word of God, John 15:3 says, can wash you clean, wash your soul clean. There's nothing, no detergent company has ever invented a soap that you can put inside you and wash your soul. Only the word of God. And John 17:17 says, you are sanctified by the word of God.  "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." So which means you must set aside time every day not just to read the Word but to meditate the Word of God. 

Most of us just read the Word like reading a story book. It does no good to your soul. You must meditate the word of God. Chew the word of God. Chew it. 

Ponder. Ponder deeply. study them. Not just referring to commentaries written by well-known theologians. 

It's okay. But that should not be your first recourse. Your first recourse must be the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. 

Meditate the Word of God day and night. 

Then your soul is washed. By that process, you're born of water every day. Just like how you take bath or shower every day. Process number two, born of the spirit. 

Titus 3:5, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. 

So step two, born of the spirit is the washing that the Holy Spirit does inside us through the rework of regeneration and renewal. 

So what are these two process? 

 Regeneration means to be restored to a better or higher or more worthy state. Where we are right now, we are very low down. 

Adam was so high up, when he sinned, he fell low down like how Lucifer fell down from heaven. 

  That's exactly how Adam fell, you know, similar to how Lucifer fell down from heaven. From being a son of God in the full image and likeness of God, he fell until he adopted corrupted nature. 

So now the Holy Spirit comes to regenerate us back to restore us back to the original sinless state of Adam, the original glorified state of Adam so that we are better, higher and more worthy than we are where we are right now. This is work number one. 

Work number two renews. The Holy Spirit renews. What does it mean renew? It means to make like new, restore to freshness, restore to original vigor or to perfection. Original perfection. How is this done? When you meditate the Word of God day and night. Not only the water, the Word washes you, the Holy Spirit also renews your mind. Romans 12:2. How does the Holy Spirit does that? The scripture says he transforms your mind when it is renewed by the Word of God. 

So as you meditate the Word of God, the Holy Spirit transforms your mind. Your mind is renewed like how it was in the original state like the mind of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5, have the mind of Christ in you. When you have the mind of Christ in you, you can always know what is the good, the perfect and the acceptable will of God for your life is all the time. All the time because your mind will be so renewed, full of light. Be full of light. There's no darkness in your mind. You can you can think so clearly and heaven will be reflected in your mind. 

Just like how the apostle John saw a sea of glass before the throne of God. 

That's how your mind will become unfiltered. Unfiltered. There's no hindrance in your mind to discern the mind of the Spirit. No hindrances in your mind. No corruption in your mind. No clutterings in your mind to know the mind of God. 

 Let me explain to you like this. 

 I'm sure by this illustration you can identify yourself with this. 

 When you start speaking in unknown tongues, you do not know what you're talking about. But you keep on speaking by faith and then you pray for interpretation. So you just wait on God. 

You ask the Holy Spirit to give you the interpretation. As you are waiting on God, the Holy Spirit gives you the interpretation. Have you experienced this? Yes. 

All right. Good. Now stage two. As you mature in the spirit, as you progress in the knowledge of God, as you are praying in tongues, the interpretation comes to your mind. Have you experienced this? 

 You see, what is the difference between the two stages? As you keep on drawing closer and closer and closer to God. 

 Your mind has been refined and renewed, refined and renewed, refined and renewed, your mind becomes one with the mind of Christ. When we becomes one with the mind of Christ, whatever you are speaking to God in the spirit and when the Lord answers you back, your mind becomes because it  has become crystal clear. It can clearly hear what the Lord is speaking to you while you are speaking to Him at the same time. 

 It's a two-way traffic that takes place at the same time. Amen. 

 This is what happens when your mind is renewed and transformed. 

When you sit in the Presence of God to know the will of God over a situation, as soon as you become one with the Holy Spirit, you connect with the Holy Spirit, you can know what is the will of God because you have become transparent,  you become so transparent. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, "He who is one with the Holy Spirit becomes one with the Lord." He's joined. 

 He who's joined with the Holy Spirit is one with the Lord. So when you're joined with the Holy Spirit in union, in communion, you become one with the Holy Spirit. Shall I tell you another secret? 

 The scripture says in John chapter 14 verse 21, when you meditate the word of God day and night, day and night, day and night, you be you make it a discipline in your life. The scripture says the Lord Jesus will manifest himself to you because the Word that you're meditating wil become flesh.

 What is just letters ABCD will take on a form and will manifest right before your eyes to see. That's what it says. John 14:21. "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."

 Then as you keep on drawing closer and closer to God, John 14:23 says, "The Father God and the Lord Jesus will come to make their abode with you." They're not far away there anymore. See, this is the kingdom of God has come down near to you, in you. 

 When they're standing so near to you, how can you not hear the mind of Christ? How can you not know the will of God? 

 You can always know the will of God. 

 So to be regenerated and to be renewed is the dual work of the Holy Spirit which is mentioned in 2 Corinthians chapter 3:18. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 My dearly beloved brothers and sisters to be ¹born again, ²born of water, ³born of the spirit is the threefold work that the Holy Spirit does in our lives. 1 Corinthians chapter 6:1. You are washed,  you are sanctified, and you are Justified in the name of the Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit. This is the work of the Holy Spirit that does in you when you draw closer to HIM. When you give importance to the Word of God in your life, not just hearing messages here and there. It's good to hear messages, good to read many good anointed authors, but they should not replace the Word of God. 

This is the grave mistake we are making in our Christian lives every day. We give so much importance to hearing a Word preached, a Word that's preached in the church on the internet or by reading good books and then you forget the most important thing; that is meditating the Word of God day and night. 

This Word must have preeminence  in your life. Then only then it will protect you from deception in the last days. If not, you will be carried aboard by every wind of doctrine that will come like a mighty tempest in these last days. 

We have a precedence in the scripture during the ministry of prophet Elijah. 

There were 101 prophets who were alive at that time or there were there would have been more but when Jezebel became the queen of Israel she killed many prophets. 

So hundred were protected by a man called Oadiah and then there was Elijah. 

So this 101 were good prophets of Jehovah. On the other hand, Jezebel had 850 false prophets. 

850 compared to 101. Now look at the amount of false prophets versus true prophets. What happened in that day is very true today. 

Very true today. The amount of false prophets and false teachers are greater. Their voices greater than the amount of good prophets and good teachers. 

So you are in the center to whom will you yield your year to this or that? This will cost you a price. This will pay you the price. They will pay you. This will tell you to carry the cross. 

If you are not grounded in the Word of God, you will be swayed by all the false teachings that will come to sweep. 

 Secondly, wash your clothes. They were told to wash their clothes. What does it mean? Wash yourself from things that defile you. What are the things that defile you? The works of the flesh. 

Galatians chapter 5: 19- 21. l ask all of you please to please turn your Bibles to Galatians chapter 5. 

: ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 Did you bring your Bibles with you? 

 Is it good old fashioned Bibles or digital Bible? All right. Good. 

It's good to have a good old fashioned Bibles because they are precious. 

Galatians chapter 5 verse 19. 

 Now as I am reading these scriptures, I want you to introspect into your life whether the works of the flesh that are mentioned in this scripture, seventeen of them. How many are in your life? 

You don't have to answer me but you just answer to yourself. Are you ready?  Now the works of the flesh are evident which are: one adultery, two fornication, three uncleanness, four Iewdness, five idolatry, six sorcery, seven hatred. Eight, contentions. Nine, jealousies. 10, outbursts of wrath. 11 selfish ambitions. 12 dissensions. 13 heresies. 14 envy. 15 murders. 16 drunkenness. 17 rivalries and the like of which I tell you beforehand. Just as I also told you in time past that those, now pay attention to the last phrase, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

So now the question is out of the 17, how many are found in your life? 

And I'm sure if you are sincere and honest to yourself , you can find more than one in your life. Am I right, everybody? 

 So more than one, at least one will be there. 

And the Scripture says, now look at the last phrase in verse 21. They who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Which means maybe in times past, you practice such works of the flesh, but from today you must put a full stop. Amen. 

From today, you put a full stop. Amen. 

 If you don't put a full stop, if you keep on practicing them, then you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 Wash yourselves because such works of the flesh defile your soul. They defile your bodies. They corrupt your bodies. 

Secondly, to wash also means get rid of idols in your life. Genesis chapter 35:2, God told Jacob, "Now go to Bethel and present yourself there. Make an altar and worship me, seek me." 

Genesis 35:2 describes Jacob instructing his household to remove foreign gods, purify themselves, and change their clothes before going to Bethel. This was part of Jacob's preparation to worship God at Bethel, where he had previously encountered God.

So in a sense going to Bethel was like going into the kingdom of God because he's going to create an altar and worship God, seek God, he was going to have an encounter with God. 

So before he can go to the kingdom of God, now look what Jacob told his family. He said to his household and to all who are with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments. Purify. Wash yourselves. Change your garments. Put away the foreign gods, the idols. 

2 Corinthians chapter 6:16 says, "Idols have no place in the temple of God." And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they shall be my people. What place has idol in you? You are the temple of God. How can there be an idol inside you? 

 Are there idols inside you? If I ask this question, most of you will think of idols of from heathen religion and say, "No, I have no idols." But Ephesians 5:5 says covetousness is idolatry.  

Covetousness. So that's an idol. So by that we have many idols inside us. 

 The church can become an idol. The ministry can become an idol. The gifts of the Holy Spirit can become an idol. You idolize them so much so that you miss the Holy Spirit. Wow. You never thought like that, huh? 

 I remember now, I can quote this because it is public.  I'm sure you all know pastor Benny Hinn. So he wrote the book Good Morning Holy Spirit. Have you read the book? 

 What I'm going to share here is found in his book Good Morning Holy Spirit. So at the height of his ministry, he became so busy in the ministry, running here, running there, all over the world preaching the gospel. So one day as he was about to go to the stage to preach, he prayed, "Holy Spirit, anoint me, come to me, Holy Spirit." So as he was praying like that, the Holy Spirit told him, he heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, say, "don't pray that the Holy Spirit be upon you. Pray the Holy Spirit who left you will come back." He 23:31 was shocked. He says in his book, I'm not adding one word. I'm not subtracting any word. He was shocked. He asked the Holy Spirit, "What do you mean you left me?" Yeah. The Holy Spirit said, "When you were young, not young in the flesh, when you starting your ministry, you spend hours seeking God. But when you became popular, you forgot the Lord God who anointed you. You thought the gifts alone can make you stand before the masses. You didn't need me. So, I left you." So, he fell on his face. He repented and he cried and he cancelled all his meetings schedule for the rest of the year. And he fell on his face and he sought God until the Holy Spirit came back to him. 

See, idolize the anointing. Idolize the gifting. 

You cannot deny that Pastor Benny was specially anointed by God. Now, if I throw my shawl around, no one will fall. Slain in the Spirit. Most commonly, being "slain in the Spirit" happens when a minister lays hands on someone, and that person collapses to the floor, supposedly overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

 Right? Even if I try, if I throw my shirt, no one will fall. If I wave my hand, no one is going to fall. Right? 

 But look at that man, Benny Hinn. Just a wave of his hand. Hundreds people falling at the same time. It cannot be just a fluke. 

 It cannot be just because one person holding the hand of another person holding another person and one falls all like dominoes. There have been instances where no one was holding anybody's hands. It's the anointing. It's the power of God. This cannot be denied. 

 Cannot be denied. ( Check this out here ) 

 But then you idolize that. You idolize that. That becomes your God. Now you forgot the God who gives the anointing. 

You forgot the God who gives the anointing. So that becomes your idol now. 

 So what are the idols in your lives?

 Now you need to wash away. Get rid of all the idols in your lives. And James 4:8 says, "Wash your hands. Wash your hands. 

 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." Two things are mentioned here. Cleanse your hands, purify your hearts. What do they mean? 

Number one,  cleanse your hands means cleanse the works of your hands.  What are the works of your hands? Are they righteous works? Are they holy works? Are the works of your hands in the perfect will of God?  Are the works that you're doing, authorized by God, commanded by God, or you're doing your own works? 

Psalms 15:2 says, "Who can ascend up the holy tabernacle of God? He who has clean hands and a clean heart. 

Who can enter? The holy tabernacle means the kingdom of God. Who can enter? He who has clean hands. 

In Matthew chapter 7:21-23, a group of preachers come and stand before the Lord God. And the Lord Jesus Christ said, I do not know who you are. Go to hell. So the preachers were shocked. So they said, Lord, what do you mean you do not know who you we are? We preach in your name. We cast out demons in your name. We heal the sick in your name. We prophesy in your name. How can you say you do not know who we are? 

Now the amazing thing is this. The Lord Jesus Christ did not discount whatever they said. He did not discount that. He did not reject what they said. He acknowledged that they preached in His name. They healed the sick in His name. They cast out demons in His name. They prophesied in His name. He acknowledged them doing all those works. However, he said, "But you did not do the will of my Father. You did all these works which I did not ask you to do. Did I ask you to do all that? No. 

You went out to build your own kingdom You built your own ministry. And I do not recognize that. 

So the works of your hands need to wash, analyze, look at yourself. 

The works that I'm doing, are they truly ordained of God? Am I building the kingdom of God or am I building my own kingdom? 

Secondly, purify your hearts. 

What does that mean? The heart here refers to the thoughts. Your thought life. Purify your thought life. 

In Matthew chapter 5: verses 27 to 28, the Lord Jesus said, "You have heard it been said in the old, when a man commits adultery, do not commit adultery. But I say unto you, whoever looks at a woman and lust after her has committed adultery in the heart. This teaching emphasizes that sin begins in the heart and mind, not just in actions. 

Adultery - "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

You don't need to touch a woman or toucha man physically. You don't need to. But you're touching a girl or a boy with your eyes. You are undressing them with your eyes. Your thoughts they does. 

You know your mind is greater than ChatGPT. 

 A Al generative Al. Do you use generative Al in your works? Now today with the marvels of Al technology ,  because I'm in the television industry I keep up with the technology. 

And now with the Al tool, you don't need any A-list actors. You don't need to go to Hollywood. Just have a computer 💻 and a brain 🧠. That's all you need, a brain and you type an entire script on the computer.   And just press ENTER . And after a few minutes or maybe an hour , a ONE-HOUR feature film is made ready for you. 

Today,  Al movie is becoming the in thing. Now we have incorporated some in our own television ministry. Now you know we put subtitles in our programs so that other language channels can read the subtitles from the Indian programs in English. In the olden days, my staff work for 3 days to subtitle a half an hour program. When we adopted Al tools, now it takes 30 minutes. What took 3 days, now takes 30 minutes. Done. But I show you a better Al. It is not called Al, it's called MI, mind intelligence. 

 It can create better images, faster images than any human technology. And this mind can do all evil works. You can look at a woman, lust after her, look at a man, lust after him, undress, go to bed together, do everything all in the secrecy of your mind without going anywhere. 

 So the Lord Jesus Christ says, purify your thoughts. If you want to discern the mind of God, you want to know the will of God, cleanse your thoughts. Cleanse your mind. Meditate on the Word.  📖 Thinking with God, day and night. 

Psalm 138:2 states that God has magnified His Word above all His name. 

This emphasizes the importance and authority of God's word in relation to His character and reputation.

◄ Psalm 138:2 ►

 

New International Version

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.

New Living Translation

I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

English Standard Version

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Berean Standard Bible

I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.

Berean Literal Bible

I bow down toward the temple of Your holiness, and I give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion, and for Your faithfulness; for You have magnified above all Your name and Your word.

King James Bible

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

New King James Version

I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

New American Standard Bible

I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your truth; For You have made Your word great according to all Your name.

NASB 1995

I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

NASB 1977

I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name.

Legacy Standard Bible

I will worship toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

Amplified Bible

I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word together with Your name.

Berean Annotated Bible

I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.

Christian Standard Bible

I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your constant love and truth. You have exalted your name and your promise above everything else.

Holman Christian Standard Bible

I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else.

American Standard Version

I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Contemporary English Version

I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before.

English Revised Version

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

GOD'S WORD® Translation

I will bow toward your holy temple. I will give thanks to your name because of your mercy and truth. You have made your name and your promise greater than everything.

Good News Translation

I face your holy Temple, bow down, and praise your name because of your constant love and faithfulness, because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.

International Standard Version

I will bow down in worship toward your holy Temple and give thanks to your name for your gracious love and truth, for you have done great things to carry out your word consistent with your name.

NET Bible

I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.

New Heart English Bible

I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your word above all.

Webster's Bible Translation

I will worship towards thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Majority Text Translations

Majority Standard Bible

I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.

World English Bible

I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version

I bow myself toward Your holy temple, "" And I confess Your Name, "" For Your kindness, and for Your truth, "" For You have made Your saying great above all Your Name.

Berean Literal Bible

I bow down toward the temple of Your holiness, and I give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion, and for Your faithfulness; for You have magnified above all Your name and Your word.

Young's Literal Translation

I bow myself toward Thy holy temple, And I confess Thy name, For Thy kindness, and for Thy truth, For Thou hast made great Thy saying above all Thy name.

Smith's Literal Translation

I will worship to thy holy temple, and I will praise thy name for thy mercy and for thy truth: for thou didst magnify thy word over all thy name.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible

I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

Catholic Public Domain Version

I will adore before your holy temple, and I will confess your name: it is above your mercy and your truth. For you have magnified your holy name above all.

New American Bible

I bow low toward your holy temple; I praise your name for your mercy and faithfulness. For you have exalted over all your name and your promise.

New Revised Standard Version

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible

I will worship in thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above every name.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated

I shall worship in the temple of your holiness and I shall give thanks to your Name for your kindness and for your truth, because you have extolled your Word above every name!

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917

I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks unto Thy name for Thy mercy and for Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.

Brenton Septuagint Translation

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks to thy name, on account of thy mercy and thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy holy name above every thing.

◄ Psalm 138:2 ►

 

Modern Translations

New International Version

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.

New Living Translation

I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

English Standard Version

I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Berean Study Bible

I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.

New American Standard Bible

I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your truth; For You have made Your word great according to all Your name.

NASB 1995

I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

NASB 1977

I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name.

Amplified Bible

I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word together with Your name.

Christian Standard Bible

I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your constant love and truth. You have exalted your name and your promise above everything else.

Holman Christian Standard Bible

I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else.

Contemporary English Version

I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before.

Good News Translation

I face your holy Temple, bow down, and praise your name because of your constant love and faithfulness, because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.

GOD'S WORD® Translation

I will bow toward your holy temple. I will give thanks to your name because of your mercy and truth. You have made your name and your promise greater than everything.

International Standard Version

I will bow down in worship toward your holy Temple and give thanks to your name for your gracious love and truth, for you have done great things to carry out your word consistent with your name.

NET Bible

I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.

Classic Translations

King James Bible

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

New King James Version

I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

King James 2000 Bible

I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your lovingkindness and for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name.

New Heart English Bible

I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your word above all.

World English Bible

I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.

American King James Version

I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your loving kindness and for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name.

American Standard Version

I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

A Faithful Version

I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness, and for Your truth; for You have magnified above all--Your name and Your word.

Darby Bible Translation

I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness, and celebrate thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

English Revised Version

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Webster's Bible Translation

I will worship towards thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Early Modern

Geneva Bible of 1587

I will worship toward thine holy Temple and praise thy Name, because of thy louing kindenesse and for thy trueth: for thou hast magnified thy Name aboue all things by thy word.

Bishops' Bible of 1568

I wyll make my lowe obeysaunce towarde thy holy temple: and I wyll prayse thy holy name in respect of thy louing kindnesse and trueth. (138:3) For thou hast magnified thy name: and thy worde aboue all thinges.

Coverdale Bible of 1535

I wil worshippe towarde thy holy teple, and prayse thy name because of thy louynge kyndnesse and treuth, for thou hast magnified thy worde, acordynge vnto thy greate name.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version

I bow myself toward Your holy temple, "" And I confess Your Name, "" For Your kindness, and for Your truth, "" For You have made Your saying great above all Your Name.

Young's Literal Translation

I bow myself toward Thy holy temple, And I confess Thy name, For Thy kindness, and for Thy truth, For Thou hast made great Thy saying above all Thy name.

Smith's Literal Translation

I will worship to thy holy temple, and I will praise thy name for thy mercy and for thy truth: for thou didst magnify thy word over all thy name.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible

I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

Catholic Public Domain Version

I will adore before your holy temple, and I will confess your name: it is above your mercy and your truth. For you have magnified your holy name above all.

Translations from Aramaic

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated

I shall worship in the temple of your holiness and I shall give thanks to your Name for your kindness and for your truth, because you have extolled your Word above every name!

Lamsa Bible

I will worship in thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above every name.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917

I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks unto Thy name for Thy mercy and for Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.

Brenton Septuagint Translation

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks to thy name, on account of thy mercy and thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy holy name above every thing.

Hearing 100% when all four channels align

 But when the ¹divine circumstances align with the ²written Word, confirm the ³inward witness, and are supported by the ⁴still small voice,  you can move with the confidence that God is directing your steps. When all four channels align, that is the sweet spot. That is the place of maximum clarity. When the word says it, the inward witness confirms it. The still small voice speaks it and the circumstances open for it. You are  hearing God in surround sound. And the decisions you make from that place will be the most confident, most fruitful and most God-honoring decisions of your life. Hear ye HIM. 

لكن عندما تتوافق الظروف الإلهية مع كلمة الله المكتوبة، وتؤكد الشهادة الداخلية، وتدعمها تلك النبرة الهادئة، يمكنك أن تمضي بثقة بأن الله يرشد خطواتك. عندما تتناغم جميع هذه الجوانب، تكون تلك هي اللحظة المثالية. تلك هي ذروة الوضوح. عندما تقول الكلمة شيئًا، تؤكده الشهادة الداخلية. تنطق به النبرة الهادئة، وتتهيأ الظروف له. أنت تسمع صوت الله من كل جانب. والقرارات التي تتخذها من تلك اللحظة ستكون أكثر قرارات حياتك ثقةً، وأكثرها ثمارًا، وأكثرها إرضاءً لله.

Arabic:

lakin eindama tatawafaq alzuruf al'iilahiat mae kalimat allah almaktubati, watuakid alshahadat aldaakhiliata, watadeamuha tilk alnabrat alhadiatu, yumkinuk 'an tamdi bithiqat bi'ana allah yurshid khutawatika. eindama tatanagham jamie hadhih aljawanibi, takun tilk hi allahzat almithaliatu. tilk hi dhurwat alwuduhi. eindama taqul alkalimat shyyan, tuakiduh alshahadat aldaakhiliatu. tantiq bih alnabrat alhadiatu, watatahayaa alzuruf lahu. 'ant tasmae sawt allah min kuli janibi. walqararat alati tatakhidhuha min tilk allahzat satakun 'akthar qararat hayatik thqtan, wa'aktharuha thmaran, wa'aktharuha 'irda'an lilhi.

French: Mais lorsque les circonstances divines s'accordent avec la Parole écrite, confirment le témoignage intérieur et sont soutenues par cette douce voix intérieure, vous pouvez avancer avec la certitude que Dieu guide vos pas. Lorsque ces quatre voies s'harmonisent, c'est le point d'équilibre parfait. C'est le lieu de clarté maximale. Lorsque la Parole l'affirme, le témoignage intérieur le confirme. La douce voix intérieure le révèle et les circonstances s'ouvrent à lui. Vous entendez Dieu pleinement. Et les décisions que vous prendrez à partir de cet état seront les plus assurées, les plus fructueuses et les plus conformes à la volonté de Dieu de toute votre vie.

但当神圣的境遇与圣经的教导相符，印证你内心的见证，并得到那微小声音的支持时，你便能满怀信心地前行，因为神正在指引你的道路。当这四个方面都协调一致时，便是最佳状态，是信息最清晰的时刻。圣经如此宣告，内心的见证与之相符，那微小的声音也随之显现，而环境也为之敞开。你仿佛置身于环绕立体声之中，聆听着神的声音。而你从这种状态中做出的决定，将是你一生中最充满信心、最富有成效、最荣耀神的决定。

Chinese: 

Dàn dāng shénshèng de jìngyù yǔ shèngjīng de jiàodǎo xiāngfú, yìnzhèng nǐ nèixīn de jiànzhèng, bìng dédào nà wéixiǎo shēngyīn de zhīchí shí, nǐ biàn néng mǎnhuái xìnxīn dì qián xíng, yīnwèi shén zhèngzài zhǐyǐn nǐ de dàolù. Dāng zhè sì gè fāngmiàn dū xiétiáo yīzhì shí, biàn shì zuì jiā zhuàngtài, shì xìnxī zuì qīngxī de shíkè. Shèngjīng rúcǐ xuāngào, nèixīn de jiànzhèng yǔ zhī xiāngfú, nà wéixiǎo de shēngyīn yě suí zhī xiǎnxiàn, ér huánjìng yě wéi zhī chǎngkāi. Nǐ fǎngfú zhìshēn yú huánrào lìtǐshēng zhī zhōng, língtīngzhe shén de shēngyīn. Ér nǐ cóng zhè zhǒng zhuàngtài zhōng zuò chū de juédìng, jiāng shì nǐ yīshēng zhōng zuì chōngmǎn xìnxīn, zuì fùyǒu chéngxiào, zuì róngyào shén de juédìng.

Но когда божественные обстоятельства совпадают с написанным Словом, подтверждают внутреннее свидетельство и поддерживаются тихим голосом, вы можете двигаться с уверенностью, что Бог направляет ваши шаги. Когда все четыре канала совпадают, это и есть золотую середину. Это место максимальной ясности. Когда Слово говорит об этом, внутреннее свидетельство подтверждает это. Тихий голос произносит это, и обстоятельства открываются для этого. Вы слышите Бога в объемном звучании. И решения, которые вы принимаете в этом состоянии, будут самыми уверенными, самыми плодотворными и самыми богоугодными решениями в вашей жизни.

Russian: 

No kogda bozhestvennyye obstoyatel'stva sovpadayut s napisannym Slovom, podtverzhdayut vnutrenneye svidetel'stvo i podderzhivayutsya tikhim golosom, vy mozhete dvigat'sya s uverennost'yu, chto Bog napravlyayet vashi shagi. Kogda vse chetyre kanala sovpadayut, eto i yest' zolotuyu seredinu. Eto mesto maksimal'noy yasnosti. Kogda Slovo govorit ob etom, vnutrenneye svidetel'stvo podtverzhdayet eto. Tikhiy golos proiznosit eto, i obstoyatel'stva otkryvayutsya dlya etogo. Vy slyshite Boga v ob"yemnom zvuchanii. I resheniya, kotoryye vy prinimayete v etom sostoyanii, budut samymi uverennymi, samymi plodotvornymi i samymi bogougodnymi resheniyami v vashey zhizni.

German: Doch wenn die göttlichen Umstände mit dem geschriebenen Wort übereinstimmen, die innere Stimme bestätigen und von der leisen Stimme Gottes unterstützt werden, kannst du mit der Gewissheit handeln, dass Gott deine Schritte lenkt. Wenn alle vier Kanäle zusammenwirken, ist das der ideale Zustand. Das ist der Zustand höchster Klarheit. Wenn das Wort es sagt, bestätigt es die innere Stimme. Die leise Stimme Gottes spricht es aus, und die Umstände öffnen sich dafür. Du hörst Gott in all seinen Facetten. Und die Entscheidungen, die du aus diesem Zustand heraus triffst, werden die sichersten, fruchtbarsten und gottgefälligsten Entscheidungen deines Lebens sein.

Portuguese: Mas quando as circunstâncias divinas se alinham com a Palavra escrita, confirmam o testemunho interior e são sustentadas pela voz mansa e delicada, pode seguir com a confiança de que Deus está a guiar os seus passos. Quando todos os quatro canais se alinham, este é o ponto ideal. Esse é o lugar da máxima clareza. Quando a Palavra diz algo, o testemunho interior confirma. A voz mansa e delicada profere algo e as circunstâncias abrem-se para isso. Está a ouvir a Deus em som surround. E as decisões que tomar a partir desse lugar serão as mais confiantes, mais frutíferas e que mais honram a Deus na sua vida.

그러나 하나님의 뜻이 기록된 말씀과 일치하고, 내면의 증거를 확증하며, 세속적인 음성의 지지를 받을 때, 하나님께서 당신의 발걸음을 인도하고 계신다는 확신을 가지고 나아갈 수 있습니다. 이 네 가지 요소가 모두 일치할 때, 바로 그때가 최적의 상태입니다. 가장 명확한 깨달음을 얻는 순간입니다. 말씀이 말하고, 내면의 증거가 그것을 확증하며, 세속적인 음성이 말하고, 상황이 그 길을 열어줄 때, 당신은 마치 사방에서 하나님의 음성을 듣는 것과 같습니다. 그리고 그러한 상태에서 내리는 결정들은 당신의 삶에서 가장 확신에 차고, 가장 풍성한 열매를 맺으며, 가장 하나님께 영광을 돌리는 결정들이 될 것입니다. 

Korean: geuleona hananim-ui tteus-i gilogdoen malsseumgwa ilchihago, naemyeon-ui jeung-geoleul hwagjeunghamyeo, sesogjeog-in eumseong-ui jijileul bad-eul ttae, hananimkkeseo dangsin-ui balgeol-eum-eul indohago gyesindaneun hwagsin-eul gajigo naagal su issseubnida. i ne gaji yosoga modu ilchihal ttae, balo geuttaega choejeog-ui sangtaeibnida. gajang myeonghwaghan kkaedal-eum-eul eodneun sungan-ibnida. malsseum-i malhago, naemyeon-ui jeung-geoga geugeos-eul hwagjeunghamyeo, sesogjeog-in eumseong-i malhago, sanghwang-i geu gil-eul yeol-eojul ttae, dangsin-eun machi sabang-eseo hananim-ui eumseong-eul deudneun geosgwa gatseubnida. geuligo geuleohan sangtaeeseo naelineun gyeoljeongdeul-eun dangsin-ui salm-eseo gajang hwagsin-e chago, gajang pungseonghan yeolmaeleul maej-eumyeo, gajang hananimkke yeong-gwang-eul dollineun gyeoljeongdeul-i doel geos-ibnida.

しかし、神の状況が聖書の言葉と一致し、内なる証言を裏付け、静かな小さな声に支えられているとき、あなたは神があなたの歩みを導いてくださっているという確信を持って進むことができます。四つのチャネルすべてが一致するとき、そこが最高の状態です。そこは最大限の明晰さが得られる場所です。聖書がそれを語るとき、内なる証言がそれを裏付けます。静かな小さな声がそれを語り、状況がそれを受け入れるように開かれます。あなたはサラウンドサウンドで神の声を聞いているのです。そして、その場所からあなたが下す決断は、あなたの人生で最も確信に満ちた、最も実り豊かで、最も神を敬う決断となるでしょう。

Japanese: Shikashi,-shin no jōkyō ga seisho no kotoba to itchi shi, uchinaru shōgen o uradzuke, shizukana chīsana koe ni sasae rarete iru toki, anata wa kami ga anata no ayumi o michibiite kudasatte iru to iu kakushin o motte susumu koto ga dekimasu. Yottsu no chaneru subete ga itchi suru toki, soko ga saikō no jōtaidesu. Soko wa saidaigen no meiseki-sa ga e rareru bashodesu. Seisho ga sore o kataru toki, uchinaru shōgen ga sore o uradzukemasu. Shizukana chīsana koe ga sore o katari, jōkyō ga sore o ukeireru yō ni aka remasu. Anata wa saraundosaundo de kami no koe o kiite iru nodesu. Soshite, sono basho kara anata ga kudasu ketsudan wa, anata no jinsei de mottomo kakushin ni michita, mottomo minori yutakade, mottomo kamiwouyamau ketsudan to narudeshou.

Evening Routine with Father God

  "Be still and know that I am God." 

🗣️:  "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety."

"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yay, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." 

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." 

I am accepted: I am God’s child. I am Christ’s friend. I have been justified. I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him. I have been bought with a price. I belong to God. I am a member of Christ’s body. I am a saint. I have been adopted as God’s child. I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. I am complete in Christ.

 I am secure: I am free forever from condemnation. I am assured that all things work together for good. I am free from any condemning charges against me.  I cannot be separated from the love of God. I have been established, anointed and sealed by God. I am hidden with Christ in God. I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected. I am a citizen of heaven. I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.  I can find grace and mercy to help in time of need. I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

 I am significant:  I am the salt and light of the earth. I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life. I am a personal witness of Christ. I am God’s temple. I am a minister of reconciliation for God. I am God’s coworker. I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. I am God’s workmanship. I may approach God with freedom and confidence. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

transliteration

 A transliteration is when a Hebrew word is simply sounded out to English so we can read and pronounce it. An example is Hallelujah. Hallelujah is a transliteration of a Hebrew word that literally means, Praise God (Hallel=praise, Jah =God). Instead of being translated as "Praise God," this word has been left for us to sound out as it would be in the original Hebrew and continues to be a powerful expression of praise.

Try this site here

Psalm 32 The Great Cover-Up

Psalm 32 (New International Version)

1 Blessed is the one

    whose transgressions are forgiven,

    whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one

    whose sin the Lord does not count against them

    and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,

    my bones wasted away

    through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night

    your hand was heavy on me;

my strength was sapped

    as in the heat of summer.[b]

5 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.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you

    while you may be found;

surely the rising of the mighty waters

    will not reach them.

7 You are my hiding place;

    you will protect me from trouble

    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

9 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.

10 Many are the woes of the wicked,

    but the Lord’s unfailing love

    surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;

    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 32 is a reflection on the blessings of forgiveness and the importance of confessing one's sins to God. It emphasizes that genuine confession leads to joy and restoration, highlighting the relief and happiness that come from being forgiven.

 

Overview of Psalm 32

Psalm 32 is a significant piece of scripture that focuses on the themes of forgiveness and the joy that comes from confessing one's sins to God. It is attributed to David and is often regarded as a teaching psalm, or "maskil," which means it is intended to impart wisdom and instruction.

Key Themes

Blessings of Forgiveness: The psalm opens with a declaration of the happiness of those whose sins are forgiven. It emphasizes that true contentment comes from being reconciled with God.

Importance of Confession: David illustrates the necessity of acknowledging one's sins. He shares his personal experience of guilt and the relief that follows genuine confession.

Structure of the Psalm

Section Content Description

Verses 1-2 Introduction of the blessings of forgiveness, highlighting the joy of being pardoned.

Verses 3-5 David's personal testimony about the burden of unconfessed sin and the joy of confession.

Verses 6-11 Instruction to others on the importance of seeking God for forgiveness and the resulting joy.

Detailed Analysis

The Blessings of Forgiveness (Verses 1-2)

David begins with a double beatitude, proclaiming the happiness of those whose transgressions are forgiven. This section emphasizes that forgiveness brings relief from guilt and a restored relationship with God.

Personal Testimony (Verses 3-5)

In these verses, David recounts his struggle with unconfessed sin, describing how it affected him physically and spiritually. He emphasizes that true relief comes only through confession, where he acknowledges his sins before God.

Instruction for Others (Verses 6-11)

David shifts to instructing others, encouraging them to seek God earnestly for forgiveness. He assures that those who confess will experience joy and peace, reinforcing the communal aspect of repentance and restoration.

Conclusion

Psalm 32 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of confession and the profound joy that comes from receiving God's forgiveness. It encourages believers to acknowledge their sins and seek reconciliation with God, leading to a life filled with peace and contentment.

Psalm 32 [Authorized (King James) Version]

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no guile.

3 When I kept silence,

my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me:

my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee,

and mine iniquity have I not hid.

I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord;

and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found:

surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

7 Thou art my hiding place;

thou shalt preserve me from trouble;

thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:

I will guide thee with mine eye.

9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule,

which have no understanding:

whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle,

lest they come near unto thee.

10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked:

but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous:

and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

The Great Cover-Up – Psalm 32

Psalm 32:1-11

INTRODUCTION: Today is November 22, 1963 which is the date John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas . I don’t know if you are into conspiracy theories, but if so you are in good company on this one. Recent polling indicates that 60% of Americans believe there was some kind of conspiracy involved, and many believe it is the greatest cover-up of all time. The reason I mention it is because today we are going to be looking at a different kind of cover-up, what is truly the greatest cover-up of all – God’s covering up your sins through the death of his Son, Jesus Christ. (Read Psalm 32:1-5 and pray.)

Have you ever tried to hide something? 

Have you ever tried to hide something from God? Most foolish.

 All I can say is, if you have, you had better be pretty good! One thing we do try to hide from God, though, is our sins. We do something wrong, and then just like Adam and Eve we naturally try to hide. We know in our hearts that God is holy, God is good, God is just, and so we try to hide ourselves and our sins from God. But the truth of the matter is, it’s a losing proposition. You cannot hide your sin from God. In fact you can’t hide anything from HIM.

I’ve entitled today’s message “The Great Cover-Up.” And I love this Psalm because it talks about covering up sin. It talks about the right way to cover up sin, and it also talks about the wrong way. It talks about how we try to hide our sins from God and how God offers to hide our sins from us. The Psalm presents you with an intriguing choice – will you attempt to cover up your own sins, or will you let God cover up your sins for you?

1) The Psalm begins by talking about the blessings you experience when God covers your sin. 

2) It then goes on to talk about the burdens you bear when you cover your sin. 

3) And then finally it talks about the benefits you receive when you take cover in God. 

So let’s look at the Psalm 32 together.

I. The blessings you experience when God covers your sin (1-2)

First of all, the blessings you experience when God covers your sin. Look at verses 1 and 2: “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1-2) Here David proclaims the blessedness of those persons who let God cover their sins for them. The word “blessed” refers to a state of happiness. It is a desirable state, one we all aspire to deep in our hearts. David describes this blessedness in two ways. When you let God cover your sins, you will experience the twin blessings of a clean record and a clean heart.

   A. The blessing of a clean record (1)

First of all, the blessing of a clean record. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a clean record? Wouldn’t it be great to be free from your past? All of us make mistakes in life, but sometimes those mistakes follow us around and cling to us, weighing us down and holding us back. Maybe you have a criminal record which holds you back from employment. Maybe you have a bad driving record which pushes your insurance premiums sky high, or a poor credit record which holds you back financially. Perhaps you’re a student at school and you’ve made some mistakes and now you just can’t shake your reputation. Wouldn’t it be great to have someone just walk in and wipe the whole slate clean? Give you that fresh start, and let you begin all over again? God offers to do that for you with your sins.

David says, “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” That word for “forgiven” literally means “lifted up and carried away.” It’s as though God picks up all your sins and carries them far away from you. The word for “covered” means “concealed, hidden from sight.” And so the first word, “forgiven,” has to so with your sins being taken far away from you, and the second word, “covered,” has to do with the record of your sins being blotted out, covered over, hidden from view. You might wonder, how can God do that? How can God simply take up your sins, carry them away, and blot them out completely? How can God cover your sins in this way?

The answer is Jesus Christ. God sent his Son to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus Christ took up our sins for us, and he carried them far away. He bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. The blood of Christ covers our sin. And through faith in Christ you may know the blessing of a clean record in God’s eyes.

   B. The blessing of a clean heart (2)

Secondly, David speaks of the blessing of a clean heart. There are not many people walking around with clean hearts today. Most of our hearts weigh heavily against us. Our consciences condemn us. We feel dirty and stained inside. Oh what a blessing it would be to have a clean heart! Verse two in our Psalm says this: “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” This speaks of a person with a clean heart before God. God does not count this person’s sin against him, and this person’s heart is open and honest before the Lord.

What a beautiful picture! This is what happens when you fully lay out your heart before God. There is no more deceit, no more hiding, no more games of cover-up. You open up your heart making yourself completely vulnerable towards God – and God says, “I bring no charge against you. I lay no sin to your account. You are forgiven. You are free.”

A clean record and a clean heart go together. When you put your faith in Christ, God forgives your sin and he cleanses your heart. “Blessed is the man whose sins are covered; blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

II. The burdens you bear when you cover your sin (3-5)

In verses 1 and 2 David speaks of the blessings you experience when God covers your sin. Now in verses 3-5 he goes on to talk about the burdens you bear when you cover your sin. And he does this by way of testimony. David gets personal with us here, and he shares his own experience of trying to cover up sin.

We don’t know when this all took place. Some believe David is referring back to the aftermath of the whole incident with Bathsheba. But listen to David’s words in verses 3-5: “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah. 5 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.”

   A. The waste of silence (3)

You see, David was carrying around the burden of trying to cover up his own sin. He speaks first of a time when he kept silent before the Lord. This was not the quiet, submissive, silence of someone waiting before the Lord – that can be a good kind of silence! Rather, this was the silence of someone withholding confession of sin to God.

There are a number of reasons why you might hold back confession of sin. Certainly pride can be a factor. Sometimes you just don’t want to admit that you’re wrong. At other times you might withhold confession out of a sense of despair. You may be so overcome with guilt for your wrong that you don’t believe God can possibly forgive you. I don’t know which David’s case was. But either way he was holding out on God. He was no longer on speaking terms with his heavenly Father.

Notice how David calls this period of silence a wasteful time. “My bones wasted away, I groaned all day long.” Unconfessed sin has a crippling effect on your life. It will waste away your energy physically and spiritually. It will completely drag you down.

How about you? Have you ever held out on God? Have you ever refused to admit that you were wrong? Have you ever despaired of God’s forgiveness? If so, you know what David is talking about. And David says. “What a waste! What a shame!” Are you on speaking terms with God right now? If not, don’t waste any more time. Talk to him. Open up your heart to him. Allow God to forgive you and cleanse you from your sin.

   B. The weariness of guilt (4)

David not only talks about the wasting effect of silence, but also the weariness of guilt. In verse 4 he says: “Lord, day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah.” David was tired and weary. He was tapped out. He felt the constant weight of God’s hand upon him.

The image of God’s hand here refers to God’s convicting and disciplining hand. God convicts us of sin, and if we refuse to deal with it, then he disciplines us for our own good. David was feeling conviction from God, and he was dealing with discipline from God. David knew he was wrong. He knew he had to come clean. But he was refusing to deal with it.

God’s hand can get pretty heavy. And the longer you withhold confession from HIM, the heavier it gets. You see, God loves you too much to let you continue in your sin. He convicts you by His Spirit; he reminds you of His love; he disciplines you when he must; he draws you back to himself. If you respond quickly, the process results in joy. But when you resist God’s Spirit, you are miserable. And David was miserable here. Wasting away in silence, weary from guilt, David still refused to confess his sin to God.

   C. The wonder of confession (5)

And then finally in verse five David comes to a breaking point. You may have noticed that word “Selah” that keeps popping up in this Psalm. We’re not exactly sure what it means, but it shows up often in the Psalms and when it does it seems to signify a pause, a hold, a brief silence in the poem before proceeding. Here David uses it to good effect, pausing for a moment before moving into his actual confession of sin, and thus highlighting the wonder and the relief of his confession.

We read in verse five: “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.” David moved from the waste of silence and the weariness of guilt to the wonder of confession. David finally opened up, he confessed his sin to God and . . . oh the sweet relief of forgiveness!

People say that confession is good for the soul, but it’s nothing compared to forgiveness. David finally stopped playing cover-up and asked God to cover up his sin for him. And when he did, how good it felt to be forgiven. As it says in the book of James: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)

There is no joy in trying to cover up our own sins. First of all we can’t do it. We’re not able. I remember reading about a contractor who was visiting a company and was about to make a bid for a certain project. The executive he was speaking with excused himself from the room for a few minutes and while he was gone the contractor noticed that on the desk right there in front of him was the competitor’s bid sheet. The only problem was that the actual bid amount was covered by this large can on the desk. The contractor thought about it for a moment, and then he took the bait. He lifted the can to see the competing bid. And when he lifted the can hundreds of these tiny silver beads began pouring out from the open bottom of the can, and he watched in dismay as the beads cascaded all over the desk and floor. And then the executive returned to the room. That contractor was busted! He was found out. You see, you or I can no more cover up our own sins than that contractor could hope to get all the ball bearings back in the can before the executive returned. So first of all, we can’t cover up our own sins. It is beyond our power or ability.

And then secondly, we shouldn’t try to cover up our own sin. It is only right to confess your sin to God. Proverbs 28:13 says: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13) We need a Savior. We need Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can cover up your sin and make you right with God.

III. The benefits you receive when you take cover in God (6-11)

1) We have talked about the blessings you experience when God covers your sin. 2) We have talked about the burdens you bear when you cover your sin. But now the rest of the Psalm talks about a different kind of covering. 3) It talks about the benefits you receive when you take cover in God. David tells us about two benefits here: when you take cover in God, you are surrounded by his protective care and you are surrounded by his unfailing love.

   A. Surrounded by his protective care (6-7)

First of all, you are surrounded by God’s protective care. In verses 6-7 we read: “Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

David moves here from testimony to exhortation. He has just shared his testimony about how he finally came to confess his sin to God and what a blessing it was finally to know God’s forgiveness. Now he exhorts us to do the same.

Notice the exhortation is directed towards the godly. The Hebrew word is “hasid.” It refers to the saints, the holy ones, those people belonging to God. The godly are those who confess their sin and cry out to God for deliverance.

David says, “Let the godly pray to God while He may be found.” Now that’s an interesting phrase: “while God may be found.” It implies that there is also a time when God may not be found. I believe it is simply an exhortation to pray now. It’s another way of saying: “Today is the day of salvation,” and that none of us has a claim on tomorrow. Are you experiencing God’s conviction right now? Then respond, right now. Confess right now. Who is to say whether you will experience God’s conviction tomorrow? Cry out to God now, while he may still be found.

And when you call out in faith to God, not only will God cover up your sins, but God will cover you. He will surround you with his protective care. When the waters rise they will not reach you, for you have taken cover in God. He is your hiding place, and he will protect you from trouble. He will surround you with songs of deliverance. David says, “Call to God while you may” – before the time of trouble comes and before the time of conviction goes away. When you take cover in God, you are surrounded by his protective care.

   B. Surrounded by his unfailing love (8-11)

And then secondly, you are surrounded by his unfailing love. Look at verses 8-10: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over 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 man who trusts in him.” (Psalm 32:8-10)

When you make God your hiding place, God surrounds you with his unfailing love. He promises to teach you, to counsel you, to watch over your way. He says: “Don’t be stubborn like the horse or the mule. They need a bit and a bridle. I don’t want to discipline you like that. Soften your heart, be quick to confess, ready to repent, willing to return.” Trust in the Lord, and he will surround you with his unfailing love. What a wonderful promise. When you take cover in God, he is your hiding place, and he surrounds you with his protection and love. Praise God!

And then David finishes the Psalm with verse 11: “Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11) The righteous are those with a clean record. The upright in heart are those with a clean heart. And so David comes full circle in the Psalm. When you allow God to cover your sin, you experience the blessings of a clean record and a clean heart. When you try to cover your own sins, you experience the wastefulness of silence and the weariness of guilt. When you take cover in God, are surrounded by his protective care and his unfailing love.

CONCLUSION: So the question I have for you this morning as we close is this: Who is covering your sin? Have you asked God to cover your sin in Christ? Then David encourages you to rejoice, to be glad and sing! Or have you been playing the silence game with God, trying to cover up your own sins and holding back on confession? Then God invites you to pray while he may be found. When you confess your sins, you move from “under God’s hand” of discipline, to “in his hands,” surrounded by his protection and love.

Forgiveness of sins is found in Jesus Christ alone. Take cover in God, and trust in his Son. Blessed is the man or woman whose sins are covered by Jesus