(Psalm 51:1-19) Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings.2 Wash me thoroughly from my guilt
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my wrongdoings,
And my sin is constantly before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in guilt,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in secret You will make wisdom known to me.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins
And wipe out all my guilty deeds.
10 Create in me a clean heart, God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach wrongdoers Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.
14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
So that my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.
18 By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then bulls will be offered on Your altar.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
This psalm so very clearly lays out the gospel message!!! We are all born into sin and are guilty. Our sin is against God and separates us from God. As He is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin. And anything a person tries to say, do or sacrifice to earn their way to heaven, would never measure up. In that sinful state, a person will stand before the Lord to be judged for all their sins committed. But because God desires that all come to know Him personally, He prepared a way. He, the Lord Jesus, is the only way! Jesus became the perfect, spotless sacrifice, to pay for sin, for all people, of all time.
All we have to do is go before the Lord with a broken, contrite, humble heart and repent. The Lord is faithful to forgive, and then chooses to not remember our sins. Our account is wiped clean, so when we get to heaven and stand before Him, all He will see is the righteousness of Jesus. Therefore, we will not be judged for any sins, but believers will be judged for their good deeds done with right motives... which is to do things with God's help, in His strength and wisdom, in His will, all to His glory.
That might sound difficult and even impossible to do, but the amazing thing is that not only does God want to save us, He wants to do things FOR us as we continue striving in a close relationship with Him. Therefore, as soon as we become a believer, we receive His indwelling Holy Spirit, who changes us from the inside out. As verse 14 says, we can ask the Lord to do and say things FOR us... even to sing joyfully! And especially, He will help us share this good news with others!
God's Holy Spirit is always with His children to guide, motivate and convict us. He is always there to help. And He will never leave us...
(Ephesians 1:13-14) In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
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