Psalm 32

O Blessed souls are they
Whose sins are covered o’er!
Divinely blest, to whom the Lord
Imputes their guilt no more.

They mourn their follies past,
And keep their hearts with care;
Their lips and lives, without deceit,
Shall prove their faith sincere.

While I concealed my guilt,
I felt the fest’ring wound;
Till I confessed my sins to thee,
And ready pardon found.

Let sinners learn to pray,
Let saints keep near the throne;
Our help, in times of deep distress,
Is found in God alone. 

(Text from Watts, I. (1998). The Psalms and hymns of Isaac Watts. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 

• Whose sins does God want to forgive? How can you find the answer to this question?
• The hymnwriter says that people who have been forgiven mourn past behavior. He further says that they try to live in a way that proves their faith is sincere. Some people say that once sin is forgiven, it can be forgotten. What do you say? If you agree with the hymnwriter, make a statement about your own life and the way you live as a response to God’s forgiveness.
• The hymnwriter declares that when a person is trying to hide sin from God, it is like having a “festering wound.” Have you ever tried to hide wrongdoing from a parent? From God? How did you feel?
• Who are the sinners who need to learn to pray? Martin Luther taught that we are sinful saints and saintly sinners. It might be said that we are always on the cusp. Where do we find help to get through life despite our sinful human nature?