Emotional health

The next psalm that we will study is Psalm 32. I'm returning to the practice of posting the entire psalm here, as I've heard from some who study that it's much easier to focus on the passage and the notes, when the verses are right here for us. (Sounds like a good idea to me, so I am going back to posting the entire passage!)

Here is Psalm 32:

Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
 Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.

 When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
 For day and night
    your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
    as in the heat of summer.[b]

 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.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
    will not reach them.
 You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on 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 one who trusts in him.

 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Anybody here ever had emotional health issues? Ever dealt with guilt? I see some hands up - mine is, for sure! Emotional issues are many times the roots of mental health issues. Guilt, anger, jealousy, and more. 

Sometimes this happens to people that you don't expect it to happen to. At least, not right off the bat. There are times when people are congratulated and honored for something that tears them apart emotionally, later in life . . . 

Claude Eatherly was the pilot of a plane called "Straight Flush." This was one of seven bombers (B-29s) of the 509th Composite Group that took part in the Hiroshima mission in 1945. After ten months of training, their group left Tinian Island and flew over the Japanese city with the task of reporting weather conditions. By the time the Enola Gay was over Hiroshima, Eatherly and the Straight Flush were more than three hundred miles from ground zero. The crews and other airmen involved were feted at parades and ceremonies, and called heroes.  Most of the men in the planes later agreed that the bombing was necessary to prevent more deaths from an invasion of the Japanese nation and the fierce fighting that would ensue. In Eatherly's own words, he was haunted by images of the bombed city and its inhabitants . . . . While some portions of his story are disputed, the facts are clear that he was troubled after the bombing; he was arrested repeatedly for forgery and robbery, his marriage dissolved, and he was admitted to psychiatric hospitals multiple times before his death in 1978. 

Unresolved guilt can destroy lives. Few of us will suffer a load of guilt similar to Captain Eatherly, but all of us experience the emotions of guilt and shame at some point(s) in our lives. Emotions are part of us as human beings - we were created with 'em. It's been said that we need to avoid two extremes with regard to emotions: it's not good to ignore them or press them down, and it's also not good to allow our emotions to take charge and be in control of us!

I believe that God's way of providing us emotional health and wellbeing is through our relationship with God. (I am in no way discounting the value of talking things through with a competent Christian therapist, a friend, or a pastor.) It's through our relationship with God that we can experience grace, forgiveness, freedom, a wholesome and truthful self image, joy, and a spiritual family to provide belonging. 

This week, as we study this psalm, we will be focused on the feelings of guilt and shame; we will look at the causes, the damage, and the removal of these feelings as we walk the path that God has given to us.

Many of the old western movies and television shows included courtroom scenes where a hand-cuffed "good guy" faced the jury, awaiting their verdict. Remember? Remember the hugs and back-slapping that ensued, after the jury said "not guilty" and the judge said, "You're free to go." Can we imagine how that would feel? Every believer ought to know!

Whether it was his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, or from some other incident, Psalm 32 shows that David knew how it felt to have guilt; he understood having God as his judge. But he also knew the joy and relief of God's forgiveness! Psalm 32 is titled a "maskil," which means it is a psalm of instruction. 

We can learn from this psalm of instruction.

We can know the blessings of God's forgiveness.

Join me this week as we study, won't you?