Psalm 51:1-2
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!
The Lord’s Prayer. Some pray it every day. Some several times a day. Some in church. Some in private.
When Jesus showed His first followers how to pray, He included a plea for forgiveness: “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone who sin against us” (Luke 11:4). In some versions, the prayer is, “Forgive us our debts.” In others, it’s “Forgive us our trespasses.” Regardless of the exact words, the thought is the same. But what are we really saying when we say, “Forgive us our trespasses?” Allow me to turn to King David and Psalm 51.
King David was made very much aware of his sin by the prophet Nathan (this psalm’s superscription says “when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”) Despite his pretty good track record up to this point, David’s adultery and conspiracy to murder are now known not only to himself and those intimately involved, but to others.
And, of course, to God.
So David calls on God to have mercy on him. He recognizes his own transgression (an act of criminal rebellion); he knows he needs purification from his iniquity; his sin must be cleansed. In no uncertain terms, David has acted in rebellion against God.
No doubt David realizes that he has no option but to call on God’s mercy. Sin required sacrifice, but for the kind of deliberate sinfulness this king of Israel has taken part in there was no sacrificial possibility, only death as a just punishment (cf. Lev 20:10; Num 35:31–32). David, knowing his actions and his condition before God, has no option but to pray to God for clemency.
David isn’t simply seeking a pardon so that he can carry on as before. He asks not only for mercy, but for transformation: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (v.10). We all, like David, are in need of a new heart, a new attitude committed not to ourselves and our own interests but to God and His righteousness. David wants to taste the joy of salvation, to be glad, to sing about his deliverance. He wants to be changed to live rightly, to be capable of resisting sin, to be wise and upright.
How does that new heart David longs for come about? What would David have been envisioning when he asked God to do that? By just about any account David is a great man, a successful king … yet still a sinner. He is one who looks forward to another king, another messiah. David’s need of transformation points us to the transformation we all require: a new life, doing away with the old rebellious self forever. David’s confession points us to the compelling love of Christ.
Thanks be to God that He has had mercy on us, that according to the steadfast love He has shown in Christ’s death for all He has cleansed us and given us new life! This petition requires me to admit my sin. It also calls me to remember a God is full of mercy and love. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. You are forgiven in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Thank you for all of you who have been faithful in prayer. We are all blessed through your efforts. How can we pray for you? Contact us and let us know.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Please Pray: Father in heaven, hear our confession and forgive us. We cast ourselves on your eternal mercy through Jesus Christ. Take away our guilt and renew us.
Please Pray For: the lost who are near us
Please Pray: for Terri, who will be coming home next week from her summer travels.
Please Pray For: Kathy Duitsman, who has breast cancer.
Please Pray For: Lela Izzo, who has a broken hip.
Please Pray For: those who serve in this place as they enthusiastically tackle diverse ministries such as the altar guild, food pantry and serving our local school.
Please Pray For: Julie who is battling brain cancer and 4 additional tumors.
Please Pray For: for those who are facing financial difficulties. Father, Guide them in their search for employment and grant them the wisdom and resources they need to overcome their challenges.”
Please Pray For: for William Isso, that God would Strengthen him.
Please Thank God For: The health of all the other congregations that worship in our facilities.
Please Pray For: Tom Sheba who is on a ventilator.
Please Pray For: Joe and his struggles with addiction
Please Pray For: Those who struggle with housing needs.
Please Pray For: all those who are out of work.