"Have Mercy on Me"

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! (Psalm 51:1-2 ESV)

Reading David’s words in Psalm 51 is heartbreaking. You can feel the pressure the weight of David’s sins has placed upon his shoulders. The crushing weight of his sin overwhelms him, and only imagine the despair he feels when confronted by Nathan.

In writing Psalm 51, David exemplified several things. First, recognizing his sins, David ran to God, asking for forgiveness. David felt the weight of his sin and sought God’s mercy, cleansing him of his unrighteousness. David knows the only way to be forgiven is by God’s grace, a comforting truth that brings relief and peace to those who seek it.

Second, David acknowledges his sin before God. David owns it. He does not blame Bathsheba, Uriah, or God. David also acknowledges his sins are against God alone. Yes, his crimes were against Uriah and Bathsheba, but his sins were his rebellion against God. We, too, should see our sins in this way. Any sin we commit is against God alone, which is why sin is so severe. It requires a response from God. We, like David, are born into sin. ( vv 3-5) It is only through God's grace that we can be made righteous. Every sin will be paid for eternally by the sinner or borne by the blood of Christ.

Third, in his repentance, David asks God to restore him. He prays that God will not cast him away but cleanse him. David's joy, which he derives from his love of God, has been diminished by his sin. David longs for and needs the fullness of joy in our satisfaction with God. It is a joy we can find nowhere else, especially within ourselves. (vv 7-12)

Fourth, in his restoration, David promised to teach others the ways of God and to make converts and disciples. David does not want to be closed-mouthed in his praise, like many of us, but instead asks God to open his lips so that he may worship God and declare his glory. In one of the most important verses in this psalm, David reveals that God is not satisfied alone by burnt offerings and sacrifices but by “a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.”(v17). 

Meaningless, empty sacrifices or prayers for forgiveness mean nothing to God. But when someone falls before God “broken in spirit with a broken and contrite heart,” a heart that is remorseful and regretful, God will hear that person's plea for forgiveness. God knows our hearts—better than we do.

When God saves, he changes the heart. He reorients the heart to what is important to Him. The saved heart desires to serve God to "build up the walls of Jerusalem," where God will enjoy the heartfelt sacrifices and burnt offerings to His glory. This transformation, this reorientation, is a testament to the hope and inspiration that God's forgiveness brings.

We sin, all of us. Do not make excuses for your sins. Own them; God knows your heart. If your heart is broken or spiritually broken, fall before the Lord with a contrite heart. He is a God who heals all things. Place your faith in Jesus Christ and come to know a joy and peace you will find nowhere else. Let this truth convict and motivate you to seek God's forgiveness through true repentance.

Grace and Peace!