October 3, 2022
Hello Advent Family,
Psalm 51 is written by David when he is confronted by the prophet Nathan over his adultery with Bathsheba. There are several things I think are important lessons for us from this passage so let’s look at it together today.
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
While it is not found in this particular Psalm, I think it is very important to note how valuable it is to have those in your life who can call us out on our sins and flaws. Nathan is able to go to David, his king, and call him out on his sins. David is immediately broken over his own sinfulness and writes this Psalm. When we have people like that in our lives and give them permission to speak into our lives it helps us as we seek to live lives pleasing to God. When David does hear from Nathan he is immediately broken over his sin and repents. He doesn’t make excuses about Bathsheba being naked outside or his rights as the king, he simply repents. He cries out to God seeking forgiveness and more than that he wants God to help give him a clean heart. David longs for a heart that finds its satisfaction in God alone and therefore is not tempted to stray. That should be all of our prayers when we struggle with sin. That we would be so satisfied with God that we don’t seek other things to find fulfillment in. David certainly isn’t perfect but his response to sin sure is close to it. May we all have a heart like David that hates it when we sin against God and longs to be restored with a clean heart.
In His Grip,
Pastor Dave