It is in the season of Lent that we come face-to-face with our humanity. We come to see the depth and severity of our sin. It is in this process that confession is necessary. In light of that, it seems odd to consider the very first words of this text: “Oh, what Joy.” The author confesses that when he refused to confess his sin, his body wasted away and he groaned all day. While that may not be our reality, we find that when we have unchecked sin in our lives, we have a nagging feeling within our own hearts. We feel uneasy and rest is impossible to find. It is through our confession of that sin that we can find the joy that the psalmist writes about. 

A joy for those whose sin has been forgiven. Joy for those who have seen the depth of their need for Jesus and have felt the loving hand of God reach down to us to save us and heal us. He becomes our hiding place, our shelter in the storms of life, he becomes our source of life and joy. Let us seek this kind of joy today.