Psalms 32:5 NIV
[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.
We often feel like we cannot go to Jesus with our sins. We get it into our heads that what we have done is too great and we turn from Him in shame. Yet, Jesus is not surprised by our sins and He is waiting for us to come to Him and repent. For as long as you refuse to repent the sin lives on as a torment inside your mind. It may feel like what you have said, thought, felt, or done is beyond Jesus’s forgiveness, but it’s not. The demon possessed man was set free and forgiven in a moment, do not think that whatever you have done is the worst thing Jesus has ever seen, because it isn’t.

Take away:

When looking at your sins and feeling guilt and shame, remember that Jesus took every sin upon Himself when He was on the cross. Your sin is not unique, He’s seen it before and has forgiven it before. He will forgive you too.

[22] In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
When we have hard times, or times of waiting, or times of silence; we feel like God has left us. In moments of despair we feel like He has given up on us and we are alone. When we are tired, or unwell, or overworked, feeling like God’s presence has departed is too often the outcome.
In these short words, David gives us the answer to these moments of feeling lost, “Keep praying.”
David says he felt cut off from God’s sight, then he says God heard his cry for help, this shows that in this time David kept praying. That is the answer. You will not always FEEL God, but that does not mean you stop talking with Him. No matter what is drawing you away, look to Jesus and keep talking with Him and worshipping Him, your breakthrough will come.

Take away:

Even when we feel far from God He is still with us. Keep spending time with Him no matter how you feel, even if His face is hard to see. Your breakthrough is coming, keep pressing in to your savior.

Psalms 30:6 NIV
[6] When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
When we feel secure we often feel like we will never be shaken, like God has blessed us so much we are self reliant now. Then the fall happens. We hit something that scares us or hurts us and suddenly our confidence dies.
Having our confidence in ourselves wax and wane is not abnormal because it depends on our feelings, but our confidence in God? That’s another story. He never fails us. He always has a plan and purpose. This chapter continues on to say how when God hid His face the Psalmist felt dismayed.
When we seek God and are for Him His favor rests upon us, but the moment we begin to feel like we can do it all on our own we are about to stumble. God wants to care for us, but He does not want us being prideful and ignoring Him.

Take away:

God will always love us and be there for us, but we need to remember to be on His team and not walk off on our own. Keep a heart posture of humility, for God will lift up those who are low in spirit. I don’t mean walk around with a mini you cloud over your head, but remember who got you where you are and give Him the glory, not yourself.

Psalms 29:11 NIV
[11] The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Peace. It may be the most fleeting and fragile thing we seek. It’s here today and gone tomorrow depending on what happens. It can be broken and chased away by small and simple things.
Yet, God gives His people strength to endure what shakes their peace and He restores peace to them.
Things in our lives and our days may try to crush us and take our peace, but if our peace is from God then we are secure in Him.

Take away:

The peace the world offers will not last, but the peace of God is forever.

Psalms 28:6 NIV
[6] Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy.

Oh how I cry for mercy these days. We feel that we have to be in really bad times to pray for mercy, but sometimes you need mercy even when things are blessed and plentiful. It seems to be in the times that are not super good and not super bad that we fall into temptation. Temptation to gossip, to fuss, to bad mouth others. I am not sure why this is but it happens, and it’s contagious. I know that I am taking this Psalm out of context, but I felt it worked as long I did not pretend this was the need David had.
No, he was calling to be saved from physical enemies. I am called to be spared from spiritual ones. Today for example was a good day. Yet my dog whom I love was and is in a fussy mood. He has literally whined for stuff off and on all day. ALL DAY! Somehow his whining made me feel whiny and I started to worry and fuss over something that is completely out of my control. I acted as though God could not fix things, but He can. Despite my failure and lack of faith, God is merciful and He is taking care of me.

Take away:

Even when we disappoint God, He is merciful and does not cast us away. Even if we fuss at Him all day He still loves us. Unlike my day with my dog, He never puts in ear plugs when He has had enough of us. He always listens and is always there.

Psalms 27:10 NIV
[10] Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
We live in a time when acceptance is almost demanded. I am ____ you must accept me. However, even in our country many people who come to love Jesus lose the acceptance of those around them. Their friends desert them, their own families disown them. It is not as bad as the countries where people are in danger for their lives and are beaten and imprisoned for Jesus, but losing the love and acceptance you once knew from others can still be devastating. What of the child whose parents are aggressive against her faith in Jesus and ban her from reading her Bible and going to church. Where does she go? She must live at home, but home does not want her for who she is in Christ.
What of the boy who is no longer permitted on the basketball team because is honest about his faith, his friends turn on him and his teachers abuse him verbally. Where does he go? You must attend school but school is no longer safe.
It may not look like these examples. It may look much worse or not nearly as bad. Yet what do we do when those we trust leave us behind?
David tells us. Even if those I love and rely on desert me, the Lord will receive me.
Even if all those around shun us and we look alone, we have a safe and secure place with Jesus. He is a friend who never leaves us.

Take away:

Sometimes it can be hard to be a Christian in an anti-Christian world. It can be lonely and painful. Yet Jesus is always on our side. As the old song says, “He’s as close as the mention of His name.”
Do not be troubled when people leave you. Trust Jesus and turn to Him. He is there for you.

[12] My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord.
My feet stand on level ground. Level ground is an interesting thing. We often take it as a symbol of being safe to move forward where you will not fall or trip. However, that works mainly for walking, but what about standing? When you stand still on level ground you can remain there a long time. Secure. But when you stand, say on an incline, or with one foot on higher ground than the other, it does not take long for pain and stiffness, as well as a tired ache, to creep in.
But when we stand on the plans of God we stand on level ground.

Take away:

Waiting to move forward can be painful and tiring, but when you wait on the level ground of God’s plan it brings peace and security.

Psalms 25:8 NIV
[8] Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

Even David, who God says was a man after His own heart, knew he was prone to sin.  But instead of claiming that he had no place with God or trying to warp God to fit his sinful ways He asked God to help him and praised God for something we forget, He instructs sinner in the ways that are upright. We are all sinners in one aspect or another, yet God takes the time to be patient with us and to show us how to live right.
Take away:

Just because you feel like you are too sinful for God to love you does mean you actually are. He loves you very much, and when you decide to change you won’t have to do it alone, Jesus will guide you and be with you. Everytime you try and fall, everytime you go back to your old ways and regret it and come back to God again, He still wants you and He still loves you.