Scripture Reading(s)
Psalm 51:1-17
51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
51:4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
51:5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
51:6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
51:9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
51:11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
51:14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
51:15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
51:16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
51:17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Reflections
This is a passage that focuses on man’s repentance and God’s forgiveness of sin. David’s cry for help is one that we can all relate to and have probably uttered on our own. The need for God’s forgiveness is expressed in 4 different ways and are lessons that I hope and pray we can all learn from:
- A Plea for forgiveness (vs 1-2): Here we see David crying out to God for mercy. He recalls that God’s love is steadfast and because of that, he asks for God to wipe away his sins.
- A Time to Confess (3-6): In these next verse we witness David confessing several different sins:
- admission of guilt (vs 3)
- Sin was not only to those around him but to God Himself (vs4)
- Born a sinner (vs 5)
- In need of God’s wisdom and Grace (vs 6).
David’s confession leads to true repentance. In order for us to experience God’s full Grace in our lives we need to fully confess our sins humbly before God
3. Prayer for Cleansing (vs 7-12): The main point we see here in David’s prayer to be made clean and new again. Furthermore in verses 12, David makes the point that God is generous, willing and eager to grant forgiveness to those who seek it
4. Prayer to be Renewed and used by God (vs 13-19): David then prays that God would restore him and use him to be a means of encouragement to others to fall into sin. He wants to rededicate his life back to God and be used as His vessel and tool to do His work.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
The Psalmist expresses a clear gospel truth, which is that God desires a clean heart. He desires a humble and repentant heart over sacrifices or offerings.
It is easy to let our faith be built upon things that are superficial. We go to church on Sunday. We read our Bibles when we find time. We participate in church social life. But none of these things are as important as walking day by day with the Lord.
Each morning seek the Lord before the day starts. Walk in the Spirit that He has placed in you while you are about the day. Seek Him again in the evening before you go to bed. Keep your mind on Him and you will know peace.
[Featured image from dailybiblememe.com]