Psalm 51
Psalm 51 is one of my favorite Psalms.
At church this past Sunday, we talked about the person I relate most to in the Bible, David.
Though my sins are not the same as his, it is David's walk that I relate with the most.
The times of consistency. The times of despair and separation due to sin and bad choices, the restoration and the deep rooted love he had for Christ.
I can read through the Psalms and clearly feel and relate to David's words to him on an intimate level.
Psalm 51 is the greatest pictures of true confession and humility. David not only confesses, but takes full responsibility for his sins.
The only way that we can truly be restored to Him, is by confession, true repentance and humbling ourselves before HIm. Without these things, everything that we do that hurts Him, continues to not only come between our relationship with Him, but also falls into complete and total wreckage in our daily life. When our relationship with Him is in shambles, our daily life is in shambles. This in turn melts into our close relationships and causes consequences that not just hurt us, but those we love the most.
David gave himself over to sins that lead to other sins that then led to a long and broken relationship with the Lord. As you walk through David's life, you see that in the times of great despair, when he was in a daily relationship with the Lord, his walk was solid and His choices were in line with Him. When David began his slow fade, he gave himself over too laziness, sexual sin, adultery, murder and suffered deep consequences for his actions.
As our pastor went through his sermon, I was convicted. Not because I had committed similar sins, but because I knew that I had allowed my "self" to consistently give into its own self and in turn created a circle of constant fading. Was a still seeking Him, yes, BUT I was trying to control and push. This created a fracture in my walk and in my relationships.
We have all been there. The consequences of our choices and actions laying all around us and even though we may have not drifted from Him like David did, we knew we had a hit a place where we not only need to confess and repent, but be completely humbled. Like David, I needed that time with God. Like David, I needed Him to search me, clean me, create a clean heart in me and wash me clean - though we are forgiven before we even ask, it is when we are truly humble and come to Him with a contrite spirit, that He can really begin to do a work in our life.
When I read through the Psalms, I don't feel like I am the only one who has done the up and down relationship. I don't feel like I am the only one that gets overcome and I don't feel like I have ever gotten to a place that is so far from Him that I can't come back. David is known as the man after God's own heart...even with his list of wrongdoings, that is who we all know him as. I want to always be the girl after His own heart.
Having someone relatable in His Word helps me walk through different things in my life. It helps me feel connected and gives me a place to always go to when I need to find my way back. Psalm 51 is that one place that I can always find the connection to confession and restoration. His Word is always a powerful and loving truth. For that, I know I will always be able to be reminded of how great His love, mercy and forgiveness is.
Psalm 51 (esv)
1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
