THE WORD 4 ev 1

Psalm 51:1 - Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. (Also read Psalm 51:2-12.)

Having read our previous devotions about God’s love and forgiveness, have you forgiven others and accepted God’s forgiveness toward you? Today’s passage from the Psalms is actually a prayer. Quite likely it is the prayer King David prayed after being confronted by God’s prophet, Nathan. David committed adultery with the beautiful Bathsheba and then tried to cover up his sin by placing Bathsheba’s husband in the front line of a battle where he ended up being killed. Nathan called him to account.

Pretty bad stuff, isn’t it—adultery, murder, conspiracy? How terrible are your sins? Worse than David’s? Remember yesterday’s devotion about “worse” and “better” sinners?
King David understood that sin is sin, that all of us our sinners, and that all sin, no matter the severity,separates us from God.

God sent Jesus into the world to remove that separation, to heal the brokenness caused by our sins, and to renew our relationship with God through the sacrifice of His own blood. Let’s borrow a bit from David’s words and pray together:

Have mercy on me, 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. My transgressions and my sin are always right here in front of me. I can’t deny them. Lord, cleanse me, and I will indeed be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow! 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 away 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. Amen.