Bringing it all – Psalm 51
Psalm 51 is a passage that a lot of people know. It sounds familiar to many of us as we read it, but as we look at the life of David and where he finds himself in this moment I wonder if we can’t find ourselves there too. I encourage you to read the whole chapter but I want to pull from a few verses that I think are important reminders today.
- I think that it is most important to start where it starts and to hold this verse as a filter for the rest of the passage. David has been called out by God through Nathan for the bad things that he has done. In this he starts with “Have mercy on me, o God, according to your steadfast love: according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” I think that its very important to remember that weather you yelled at your kid when you probably shouldn’t have or did something as serious as David had just done, grace and mercy are from God and through God alone. Seeing him and his grace first allows us to move forward.
- It is through that filter that we then address verse 3 which says “For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me.” Many people try to hide or run from their sin. Not only is this silly because God already knows, but it also leaves you hiding and running from God who wants to do something about it. When we can step forward knowing that we deserve the wrath of God but that his mercy is offered instead should make us the most grateful and humble people of all. We can humbly set all of our sin and shame before God knowing his goodness and mercy will meet us there.
- Verse 17 sais “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart o God, you will not despise.” While this passage goes on to talk about how God desires sacrifices, we know that Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice and that Gods people not longer practiced this. However, I think that the sacrifice of our pride in brokenness is something that God will always desire. Not because he likes to see us broken, but instead because it is the place where we can find wholeness in Him.
- I once heard a pastor pray before a time of worship and he said “Lord, help us to give all that we know of ourselves to all that we know of you.” While that stuck with me for a few years, It took on a new meaning when I got married. When you are young there is a temptation to think that you know all that there is about yourself. I mean after all it is yourself that you are talking about. However, when you get married and move in together, you begin to learn more about yourself than ever before. You learn there are things that you have always done one way and all of the sudden there is a different way to do it. Your behaviors and the ways you respond to situations are all through a different lens than ever before. I think that in many ways we are all in that space right now. We know our spouse and we know our families. However, we may have never known them quite like this. And as we learn and grow in who we are as families with all of the struggle and sin and joy and gladness, we are called to bring It before God. With humility and honesty for Him to make whole. None of us are perfect parents or spouses or even roommates. But when we recognize who God is and recognize our sin and all that we struggle with, then we through humility and honesty can repent of our sins and find newness in Christ.
- What have you learned about yourself and your family during this time?
- How can you bring that knowledge and those experiences before God so that He can be at work in them?
