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1Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
5Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desired truth in the inner parts
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
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11Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
14Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17The sacrifice, of God, are b a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
O, God, you will not despise.
18In your good pleasure make Zion, prosper
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then there will be righteous sacrifices
whole burnt offerings to delight you
(NIV)
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Psalm 51: From what has been written we can place this sometime after David sin with
Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. (2 Sam. 11:3-4).
God shows us that a whole load of offerings cannot wipe all the sin. You have to be truthful to God in your heart, that you are indeed sorry for the wrongs that you have done. Only when God can see that you are truly sorry in your heart will He forgive you.
The question for all believers today is:-
• How can we be truly sorry for what we have done?
• How can we help people to be truly sorry for what they have done?
Within the psalm there are atoning rites; a collective confession used by the survivors of the destruction of Jerusalem. Repentance is not only asking forgiveness for what you have done wrong, but in knowing you have received God’s grace and forgiveness.
A question for all of us to wrestle with have we anything that we are sorry for to confess to God, if there is, are we ready to make things well with God and start anew our lives..
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