Psalm 51:1–10
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.
Reflection
For the most part, I know my own sin. I know when I have failed God. I know when I have left something undone. Yes, there are those sins that I'm not aware of. There are those sins that I commit that I really don't find out about until sometime later, but for the most part, I know my sin.
I hate the thought that God sees my sin also. I really don't want God to know about my sin. I know I'm wrong and I want God's praise, not God's condemnation. I, like the psalmist wish God would just look away and not see me as I am in sin.
It's even worse to think that I was born into sin. I'm sinful from the beginning. I was born from a fallen race. Like Adam, I want to run and hide from God in my nakedness. But God finds me every time. God finds me and makes me face my sin. God finds me and then teaches me. When God disciplines me for my sin, I know that God loves me. God doesn't want me to become a victim of sin but wants me to see and learn about God's compassion and love. This attention brings me joy, even in the midst of my sin, God loves me.
And God changes me as he teaches me how to live. I change in my sinful life, learning and growing to please God and seek God's love and compassion. And God freely gives that love. God comes close to me and walks through this life with me, changing me all the way and washing me clean of that awful sin that I hate.
For the most part, I know my sin, and God has made me desire to run to him now with my sin. I run to God and confess the sin I know. I run to God and seek instruction and guidance in the midst of my failure. I run to God because I need God to live in this sinful world I'm in. For God is merciful and gracious and slow to anger. God listens to me and corrects me and holds me responsible for my sin, yet at the same time God sets me free to live for him. I don't want to sin against God, so I run to God in my sin and repent.
Only God can purge me. Only God can wash me that clean. Only God can forgive me of my sin against him. And only God can apply the blood of the Sacrifice with hyssop. Oh, yes, only God could send his Son, Jesus Christ to be the sacrifice for my sin. Only God could bleed and die for my sin upon that cross. Only God could apply with hyssop his own blood to his own self upon that cross as he hang to die in my sin. So, I see Jesus and I see my sin hanging there by my only hope of salvation. Only God in Jesus can save me from myself, my sinful ways and my sinful life. And God does this in love for me, a sinful man.
So, I plead, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me."
Prayer
I'm still, I'm motionless in your presence and in awe of your deep love for me and all of your people. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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