April 25, 2025

Psalm 51:1-7  (HCSB)
A Prayer for Restoration
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.
1 Be gracious to me, God,
according to Your faithful love;
according to Your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.
2 Wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against You—You alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in Your sight.
So You are right when You pass sentence;
You are blameless when You judge.
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
6 Surely You desire integrity in the inner self,
and You teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Julia Burns
King David tells us again how God is gracious and faithful in His love toward us. God can forgive us our sins and we should be specific in naming our sin as rebellion against God. David asked God to “wash away my guilt and cleanse me”. He tells us that we are conceived in sin - this is because we are part of the human race of “Adam”, and that we have a sin nature. King David asked for a clean heart and a renewed, steadfast, and strong spirit. We can also ask for the “joy” of our salvation to be renewed in us. Then, we can also teach others about what God has done for us. This would be our testimony - and this is what we are reading in the Book of Psalms – which is David’s story or testimony.