2 Samuel 12:1-14, Psalm 51:1-19
We are all sinners. We all fall short of God’s expectations for His created people. But how willing are we to acknowledge our sins before God, confessing that we are indeed broken and disobedient? After all, it is so much simpler to just look past our sinfulness and pretend our behavior is better than it really is.
King David tried to hide the sin he committed with Bathsheba. He went to great lengths to cover up his taking of another man’s wife. This deceitfulness even claimed the life of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah. Only when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan did he admit his sins to God. Psalm fifty-one is David’s confession. Within its verses, David bares his heart and soul before God. The reality of his sin is too much to grasp. He knows only God can grant him mercy, and that is just what God does.
As we pray this psalm, we too implore God to create within us clean hearts. We cannot hide our sin from God. We must acknowledge it before Him and put our trust in the power of His love. Praying with David, we have the assurance of God’s grace, and the joy of God’s salvation is restored.
Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Amen.
In the Beginning 