March 12th - Reflection

Psalm 51 (NRSV)
Create in me a clean heart
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
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.
Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.

You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
then you will delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Reflection
I have sinned. I have grievously sinned. I am convicted of sin. It's my sin and not yours. It's sin that I did and I am accountable for my sin. I have turned away from God in my sin. My sin has hurt others and my sin has hurt God. My sin has been against God. My sin deserves death.

I need to be cleansed of my sin. I need God to wipe me clean. I can't clean this mess up on my own. I need God to wash me clean.

And it's only God who can do this. I can't turn to someone else to have my sin washed clean. God is the only one who can clean me from my sin. So I throw myself to God and seek the blood of sacrifice for my sin.

I can't stand the thought of separation from God. I crave God's love in spite of my sin. I'm so afraid that I will be cast into outer darkness. I need God to save me from my selfish hell that my sin has brought on.

And then I see the blood of Christ. At the foot of the cross, I slowly gaze up and see Jesus offering of forgiveness for my sin. At the foot of the cross, I witness the only one who could ever make me clean. At the foot of the cross, Jesus creates in me a new heart, a clean heart, a new and a right spirit inhabits me. At the foot of the cross I see Jesus take me up, when I should be cast away, and places the joy of salvation within me.

Thanks be to God! Thanks be to God! Eternal thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, in my sin I come to you. In my sin I fall to the foot of the cross. Forgive me and renew me and return to me the joy of your salvation. --- Amen