In Psalm 32, David encourages God’s people to be vulnerable and confess their iniquities to the Lord. Hiding our shame from God, like David describes in verse 3-4, drains us and keeps us from the joy you experience in communion with Him. Instead of trying to repress it— an impossible feat —you should unveil your iniquity to the One who knows you best. He is already familiar with your shame; after all, he bore it Himself on the cross. You have nothing to fear when it comes to the all-knowing, all-consuming love of God.

David writes more about the intimate nature of God’s love in Psalm 139. The darkness of your shame cannot keep you hidden— darkness is as light to Him. He saw you unformed; He stitched you together before you were born; He sees your every secret struggle before you do. He knows you more than any person will ever be able to, and you’ve been on His mind for longer than you can comprehend. Who, then, can we trust more than Jesus, our hiding place, our greatest confidant and friend? What choice do we have but to be vulnerable in His presence? He wants you to know Him and pursue Him, just as He has always known and pursued you all the days of your life. If you allow it, He will counsel you, teach you, and protect you from anything that comes between you and Him. Sin separates us from God, but confessing to and confiding in Him frees us to experience the unconditional love He has for all of us.