Mercy

Psalm 51:1-2

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! ESV

When I was in college I got a speeding ticket, and had to appear in traffic court. When it was my turn to stand before the judge I confessed my crime (I was guilty), and asked for mercy. I didn’t get any. I had to pay the ticket…and justice was served.

In Psalm 51 David found himself desperately in need of God’s mercy. He had sinned, he was hurting, and deserved judgment (v.4). However, he knew God’s nature was characterized by ‘steadfast love’, and ‘abundant mercy’. So he confessed his sin to God, and the Lord forgave him.

Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,"

And you forgave the iniquity of my sin. ESV

According to Romans 3:23 & 6:23 we have all sinned, and the wages (what we deserve) of that sin is death. But God is merciful, and while we were still sinners Jesus died on the cross  to bear the punishment we deserved. (Romans 5:8) Because God is merciful, it does not mean He is not just either. He is just, and the penalty of sin had to be paid, and praise be to God. He paid the price.

Andy

I love Psalm 51. This is a Psalm God used to pierce my heart, and draw me back to Himself.  The words in verse 12 -  “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” reverberated through my life; a life that had become tired, bitter, hopeless, and sad. But thank God He was not finished with me yet. Through much contemplation, prayer, and repentance He did restore to me the joy of His salvation. He “upheld” me.


The word uphold in (v.12b) means to renew or repair. It is the same word used in 2 Chronicles 24:4 where scripture states, “Joash was determined to repair the Lord's temple.”  That is exactly how I feel!  I feel like a new man. I feel like I was broken, and He repaired me.

As I fire up my blog once again, I am going to just hang out in Psalm 51 for awhile. I pray God will use His Word to convict, and restore you the same way He did me.

Be blessed.

Andy