Welcome to day 3 of our 40 day challenge! Today, we are in Psalm 51.

(You can catch up on our Intro, Day 1, and Day 2 if you missed them)

Today we are in Psalm 51:

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Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

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.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

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This Psalm has given us language for coming to the Lord for mercy.  Create in me a clean heart, oh God. David knew the Lord well when he wrote this Psalm. They had been through a lot together. But it can be easier to rely on the Lord in seasons of lack or peril than in abundance and leisure.

David knows God’s heart, and he knows the severity of what he had done in his power and authority. God wants us to wield all power and authority on behalf of others and to show them His character. But here, David used his great power for his own gratification and did great evil.

But to his credit, when confronted, he doesn’t ignore it. He didn’t use his power to pretend it away and insulate himself from the consequences. He faced what he had done and let God’s Spirit reveal its severity. He doesn’t hide, lie, or excuse it. May we do the same when we fail to live up to God’s standards. And may we all have leaders who do the same.

Because David knows God’s heart, he knows outward responses of penitence aren’t sufficient. He must truly be broken and contrite over his sins and failings as both a leader and a man.

God doesn’t want our sacrifice. He wants us to have His heart for each other. God also knows humans and knew we could never do this on our own. Each moment, we are either walking in God’s way or the enemy’s. There is no neutral ground.

Most of us will never be in a position to abuse power and authority in these ways. But we aren’t off the hook. As disciples and Christ’s ambassadors, we all have the authority of Jesus in our lives, and we will all fail at times in our responsibility to care for others and be examples of who Christ is.

May we respond like David, broken and contrite before a holy God. May we know His heart toward us and toward those we might harm with carelessness or intent. May we treat each person as our neighbor, as people beloved by the Lord. And may we know how to get right with Him again, and do so continually.

Options for further  journaling or discussion throughout the challenge:

• Choose a part of the passage to write out by hand. Writing by hand helps us slow down and focus on what the Lord might highlight for us in the passage. Our brains can focus and remember better by writing than just reading alone.
• Journal about what the passage brings to mind. Does the passage tell us anything about God? Does it tell us anything about our response to Him?
• Does your heart respond in gratitude to any part of the passage? Write or pray your gratitude to the Lord.

We’ll see you tomorrow, for Day 4 in Matthew 18!

♥ Samantha