Shana Miller--Guest Columnist | Somerset-Pulaski Advocate
Image by (C) 2026 Adobe Stock | Architect
Psalm 32 reminds us that "many sorrows come to the wicked, but lovingkindness surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord." This entire chapter is about forgiveness, confession, and the freedom that comes when we stop hiding what’s hurting us.
Sorrow is deep distress. Wickedness is choosing what is morally wrong or harmful. And verse 3 shows us what happens when we keep everything inside: “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all day long.” Groaning is the sound of pain, despair, and exhaustion. It’s what happens when we carry more than we were designed to hold.
We can live with so much unspoken pain, unconfessed sin, and unprocessed emotion that we don’t even realize how heavy it has become. Silence doesn’t heal us — it drains us. It affects our body, our mind, our relationships, and our spiritual life. When we try to overcome sin, temptation, or emotional burdens on our own, we unintentionally create more distress. We were never meant to overcome anything alone.
Jesus already overcame the world. Because of His sacrifice, we have access to the Father, forgiveness for every sin, and strength for every struggle.
If you’ve accepted Jesus, you are already forgiven—you are blessed (Psalm 32:1). Walking with Him doesn’t mean perfection. We will fall short. We will be tempted. We will face thoughts and emotions that trouble us. But we never have to hide them. Silence only ages the soul.
If you’ve accepted Jesus, you are already forgiven—you are blessed (Psalm 32:1). Walking with Him doesn’t mean perfection. We will fall short. We will be tempted. We will face thoughts and emotions that trouble us. But we never have to hide them. Silence only ages the soul.
Think about your own life:
- When you keep things inside, how do you act or feel
- Do you complain more or slip into negativity
- Do you become hard on yourself
- Do you lash out or feel peace slipping away
- Do your relationships suffer
- This is why confession matters. Not to shame us — but to free us.
- The enemy wants silence. God wants surrender.
Have you ever noticed how much lighter you feel after confessing something — even a feeling, not just a sin? That’s because Jesus takes the weight. Confession opens the door for freedom, healing, and restoration.
Don’t let silence control you. Don’t let the enemy convince you that no one cares or that you must handle everything alone. Don’t let sorrow become your normal.
God made a way through Jesus and gave us the Holy Spirit—the Helper who speaks for us when we don’t know what to pray. James 5:16 reminds us to confess to one another and pray for one another so that we may be healed. We were never meant to struggle in isolation.
Bring your temptations, your burdens, your fears, your disappointments, and your failures to the Lord. Jesus meant it when He said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened.” God never intended for you to carry the weight of the world alone.
The upright — those who live in truth, honesty, and integrity — are blessed. Being upright doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being willing to come to God openly, honestly, and humbly. It means trusting that He already knows what’s going on inside you and simply wants you to bring it to Him.
Psalm 32 ends with a promise: “Lovingkindness will surround the person who trusts in the Lord.” You are not alone. You are not abandoned. You are not expected to carry your burdens in silence.
Confess and be free.
Trust and be surrounded.
Come to the Father and receive mercy, healing, and rest.
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Is there anything in your life that you need to confess? Something that maybe is troubling you or tempting you?
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Have you fallen short recently, and are you beating yourself up over it? Let God pour out his love and grace onto you by openly bringing them to him. Allow him to guide and correct you.
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Read a few translations of Psalms 32 and see what speaks to you, and meditate on that with the Lord in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your forgiveness through Jesus Christ. I am truly blessed. I know I fall short from time to time, but I praise you and thank you for your grace and mercy upon me. Lord, when I fall short and do not see it, I pray that you will correct me. I want to live a life for you, always with a heart full of pure intentions. Please help guide me through the sins of this world that may try to tempt me. I trust in you for the strength that you can provide me to overcome anything and trust that I can always come to you when I feel troubled, tempted, or fall short. Thank you for the peace you give me, for helping me to give myself grace when I do fall short, and for knowing that I am covered by your loving kindness. Thank you, God, for never changing me while I walk through this ever-changing world.
In Jesus' name, Amen
