Have Mercy on Me
Psalm 51: 1-17 “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! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
King David wrote this psalm after he committed one egregious sin after another. Here he is completely broken by his actions and the stain of his sin weighs heavily on him. He begs before the Lord for mercy. He knows that he does not deserve God’s mercy, but he begs for the Lord to make his heart clean.
When we sin, we should also plead for the mercy of God’s forgiveness. Our hearts should truly feel repentant in that we will not sin in the same way again. We should determine to change and do better. It is not right to sin, seek the Lord’s forgiveness, and then immediately return to the same den of iniquity. Sinning grieves and angers the Lord as well as stains our soul. We need Christ to be washed clean of our evil thoughts, words, and deeds.
When we have asked for God’s forgiveness, then it is time to remember what we did, thank the Lord for his forgiveness, and move on with our service to Him. We must continue striving to bring Him honor always.
Lord have mercy on me. Lord have mercy on us.