David’s diary

Psalm 51

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
² Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
³ For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
⁴ Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
⁵ For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
⁶ But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.

⁷ Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
⁹ Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
¹³ Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.
¹⁴ Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
¹⁵ Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise you.

¹⁶ You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
¹⁸ Look with favor on Zion and help her;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—
with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.
Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

Have you ever kept a journal or diary, writing the things that are on your heart or significant things happening in your day or perhaps things that the Lord is saying to you? If you read 2 Samuel 11-12 and then read Psalm 51 you will feel like you are reading David’s diary. David the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22), is also like us a man of poor and sinful decisions. 

The New Testament isn’t the only place we find God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. Reading David’s heart in this psalm (his diary) we see that he knew Gods character. Gods character has always been for us, no matter what we’ve done or even in the middle of doing, when we come with hearts humbled and owning our sin and seeking forgiveness, He will always respond with mercy, love, forgiveness and grace. There is nowhere we can go from his presence and care for our lives. 

I love that David knew God’s character 1000 years before Jesus. I think this is such a wonderful psalm and prayer blueprint for us to follow when we mess up, we don’t need to live with the guilt, shame and separation from God that sin brings but when we come with willing hearts to be changed and forgiven God responds immediately in cleansing and restoring us. 

Lord, thank you for your mercy and faithfulness towards me, saving and restoring me to right standing with you through the work of the cross. Thank you that you don’t leave us in our mess but continually change us into a new creation.  Amen

Written by Suzie Hodgson