Too Much of a Good Thing?
Can you ever really have too much of a good thing? I mean, really? Sure, we are always warned against it, but I’m not sure. Take chocolate for example. I know, I know… too much chocolate will spoil my appetite. It could get me all hyper. It could make me sick. But, honestly… It’s chocolate!
But, of course, we all know that in some areas you really can have too much of a good thing. Too much of something special will often ruin it. Too much vacation can numb the mind; too much fun can blind us from reality; too much work can “make Jack a dull boy.” We worry, and rightly so, that too much of something will lessen its impact, it will rob us of what is special. And so we often try to protect the special things by limiting them, not having too much.
Another fear is that there must be a limited supply. No matter how much is available, surely there’s a limit somewhere! There is only so much time, so much fun, so much chocolate. So, we hoard it, we dole it out in smaller portions, so we don’t “overdo it.” Do we think of divine forgiveness the same way?
The forgiveness we receive from Jesus simply cannot be measured. God’s gift of salvation involves a forgiveness of sin that never, ever stops. No matter the vast quantity of need, there is more and more forgiveness available.
But, if we fear “too much of a good thing,” perhaps we seek to limit forgiveness. All the while knowing that with God there is no end, no limit. Perhaps we are worried that forgiveness will eventually run out for us; that God will eventually not give us what we need. Perhaps this helps explain why we are so afraid of forgiveness—afraid to lean too much on the forgiveness we receive from Jesus. Perhaps it is better to only have a little forgiveness at a time?
Nonsense. My friends, God’s grace never ends; there is no limit to His forgiveness, and we dare not seek to limit that which He freely dispenses. Forgiveness is His gift to all who call on His name, who trust in His salvation. When we approach this gift with fear and anxiety, are we not doubting His goodness? When we are afraid that He will withhold His blessings, are we not limiting His forgiveness? But, we need never do this, for His forgiveness never ends!
The forgiveness of sins that is ours by virtue of the cross, the forgiveness that Christ purchased by His blood, should be embraced wholeheartedly by all—there is never too much of this good thing!
This week in preparation for worship, read Psalm 32.
1. The opening lines of a psalm are generally a summary of the entire psalm, and then the “story” begins. How is that evident here in this passage?
2. In verse 3, the psalmist stays “silent.” Silent from whom? What is he saying here? What is the opposite of “silent” in this context?
3. Have you ever experienced the oppression of verse 4? Why does the psalmist feel so poorly, so oppressed?
4. How is verse 5 a remedy for the oppression the psalmist feels in verse 4? What view of forgiveness must you have for this to take place?
5. Back to verse 1… What does it mean to be “blessed?” How might that differ from “happy” or “joyful?”
6. How does the last phrase in verse 1, “whose sin is covered,” connect to the previous phrase, “transgression is forgiven” What does it mean to “cover” a sin?
7. Who is the active agent in these verses? What role does God play? What role does the psalmist play?
