GEMS FROM THE PSALMS (12)

O God I Am So Sorry

Neville Turley

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  Psalm 51:10-12 (NIV)

Lust, adultery, a planned hit, the victim killed, the mastermind behind the plot, when taken to task admits his guilt and is so sorry.  A typical major media report to turn this Monday morning blue.

Only this story will never make banner headlines, even though the guilty party was a famous king.  It happened too long ago.  You can read the full report in your Bible, 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12.

The king concerned was none other than King David, a brilliant and complex man who by the grace of God, became Israel’s greatest king.

It was Nathan, the prophet, who confronted David about his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah, the Hittite, and what the consequences would be, even though the Lord had forgiven David.

David felt so debased and defiled by the sin he had committed against God, that he penned Psalm 51, the finest gem in my personal treasure chest of Psalms.

God forgave him but David needed more.  So he desperately pleads with God to purge him of all evil.  He begs God – wash me, cleanse me, teach me, blot out all my iniquities and then in our text for the day: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”  Psalm 51:10-12

David loved and walked with God who had blessed him beyond imagining.  Now the evil David had done had greatly angered God.  David was distraught, even though he had been forgiven.  David needed to be convinced within himself that he was right with God.

David was not unique in this aspect.  We all make mistakes and stumble, that’s when we need first to turn to our Heavenly Father and say “O, God I am so sorry” even before we redress our wrongdoing.  Then we can, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, move forward in faith with peace in our soul.

Prayer: Almighty God we love you, yet we let you down time and time again.  Forgive us our sins, Father for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen