Psalm 51 | Create in Me a Clean Heart

Sin separates us from the Holy God who created us in his image.  The reality is that truth alone is the reality we must face as people. The beauty is that God, in his love for us did not leave us separated from Him but made a way, through Jesus that we could be made righteous again. The issue though is that even for those who know God and have confessed Him as Lord, we have the temptation to sin, and according Paul, we often do those things we know we ought not to do.  We battle with the flesh and the desires that aren’t Godly for as long as we walk on this earth.

The last few weeks, we have looked at the temptation to sin - originally to Eve, and I would argue for eternity - is the words of the enemy, “Surely God’s word didn’t say that. Surely that isn’t what God meant”.”

We then saw that Achan was so enthralled with the idea that surely there wouldn’t be a curse for taking the spoils of Jericho, that he took it, hid it, and we saw that even the sin we hide effects others around us.

We saw King David confronted by his sin of lust, adultery, and murder which brought forth his confession, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

What happens then though?

What happens when believers come face to face with their sin and seek restoration ?

Psalms 51 shows us David’s response to his realization that his excuses are played out as well as his sorrow for his sin.  It is a psalm of repentance and it shows us some things that we must acknowledge in our lives when we find ourselves in his shoes.

One, we see his recognition that his sin was his own.  It wasn’t an accident or something that just happened.  It was sin and it was creating a separation from his communion with God that he could not fix on his own.  He had to come to this place and petition God for forgiveness and restoration.  Unlike Adam and Achan who wanted to hide - David says please look upon me again God and blot out my transgressions.  David shows us that his sin has created a situation in his life where his joy is gone because he asks God to restore the joy of salvation.  This communion with God is the source of our joy, the joy that doesn’t fade or fail with earthly problems and David is yearning for that joy.

David recognizes that what needs to be removed is not just the sin that everyone sees, but even the desires that breed those sins that are found in his innermost places.  We need a new thought about our sin- we need to see it as God sees it and we need renewal of even the things inside of us that no one else knows.  David has come to the realization that there may be earthly consequences for his sin, but the restoration of his communion with God is what he needs most.

Finally , David recognizes that his brokenness before God and the mercy he seeks will allow him to worship again. He makes the desire to worship and speak of the mercy of God his greatest desire.  That is where true repentance comes - when we recognize that what we need most is forgiveness so that we can worship.  Believer, today seek Gods face and mercy for what separates us, and respond in worship of the Lord of Lords for his mercy and loving kindness!!