The Simple Power of Naming

Psalm 32 reads a little like a before and after commercial. You know the kind, “Before I got the Ginsu super cutter knife, my culinary life was a virtual disaster, but now…!” Only the genuineness of this Psalm is undeniable. It is attributed to King David and it deals with the power of confession and forgiveness. If anyone would know about missing the mark and the need for confession and forgiveness, it would be David.

In verse three, the Psalm claims, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away… my strength was sapped…” But, then in verse 5, it continues, “Then, I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgression to the Lord.’ And you forgave…”

The Psalm ends with rejoicing.

The truth is, when we hold on to our sins when we fail to acknowledge where we have missed the mark, our mistakes only eat us up inside. There is no way to heal. On the other hand, naming our sin breaks the power of it. Without a doubt, it is the first step toward healing.

Today, find a place to sit quietly before God and make your confession. And, remember that in Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven. Later in the Psalm, we are given this promise, “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds those who trust in him.”

Let us pray: God we’ve messed up, we’re human, we’re flesh and blood, and we’ve made mistakes – sometimes over and over. We need you to wash over us with your grace, cleanse us, and help us move on, leave behind the old, and to start over differently. Help us today to name our brokenness, so the healing can begin. We ask in Jesus name. Amen.