Psalm 51 (Day 11): Mercy

Precious Father God,

Redeeming Son of God,

Illuminating Spirit of the living God,

please wash my heart with the water of Your Word.

Pat it dry with the towel of Christ's righteousness,

and marinade it into Your infinite, unfathomable mercy

that I, too, may exude the flavor of love and compassion

to my fellow man!
Amen.

As I continue my meditation on Psalm 51, I invite you to read with me: 

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your unfailing love,

according to Your great compassion

blot out my transgressions."
Psalm 51:1, NIV

One word catches my attention from the first verse of this penitential psalm -- mercy.

Divine mercy.
The Father's mercy.

Yesterday the Holy Spirit showed me how David's nature necessitated God's mercy. And, of course, having inherited the same nature, I too need God's mercy.

And not only I but, dear fellow traveler, you too are in need of His mercy.

And not only you and I . . .

. . . but the father, the mother, the brother, the sister, the cousin, the aunt, the uncle, the grandfather, the needy, the poor, the wealthy, the pastor, the politician, the artist, the salesman, the noteworthy, the unknown, the broker, shoeshiner, the sick, the lame, the druggie, the smoker, the murderer, the thief, the rapist, the liar, the cheat, the con artist, the harlot, the . . .

As long as it is still called today, as long as we breath still fills our lungs on this side of eternity, no sinner who ever knocks on the Father's merciful door will ever be turned away. No sinner awaiting the powerful and merciful illumination of the Holy Spirit will ever be refused. No sinner genuinely seeking mercy for the sake of Christ will ever be sent back empty-handed.

Mercy!

Mercy unshackles prisoners.
Mercy detoxifies fornicators.
Mercy regenerates murderers.

Mercy!

No wonder David sensed his personal need for mercy. Upon further reflection, my meditation led me to a hymn bequeathing comfort for my heart and mind in terms of God's merciful nature:

"Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,

The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue;

Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,

Hath won my affections and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy free mercy I could not live here

Sin soon would reduce me to utter despair;

But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive

And He that first made me, still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy surpasses the sin of my heart

Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart,

Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground

And weep to the praise of the mercy I found.

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,

And covenant love of Thy crucified Son:

All praise to the Spirit whose action divine

Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine!"

Extracted from Thy Mercy, My God by John Stocker

David did not yet know Jesus as we now know Him. However, through the word delivered by the prophet Nathan, the Spirit of the Father revealed to David that there was a channel opened to him in particular and to humanity in general through mercy. 

And mercy is but an insult to the Father if merely viewed as pity. On the contrary, it is the very definition of true and pure religion. It is the attitude of God's loving heart toward those who are estranged from Him because of sin. 

It is to that kind of unparalleled mercy David was responding. The Spirit of the Father quickened his heart to recognize that only His unfailing love and His great compassion could provide the forgiveness he craved so much. 

Have you and I faced the unparalleled mercy of the Father?
Have you and I been made aware of the heinousness of our offenses to the Father?
Have the eyes of our hearts been enlightened to see the importance and beauty of divine mercy?

Today is the day to part our lips and lift up our voices and cry out: "Have mercy on me, O God."

Today is the day for us to realize that the Father has extended mercy to us through Jesus. No sin can separate us from the Father's mercy as long as we cling to the sacrifice of Jesus. He is the merciful door that allows us to receive and respond to the Father's unfailing love and unfathomable compassion. Christ is the reason we are to learn to be merciful to others just as the Father is merciful to us. His mercy invites us, despite the offenses and insults hurled at us by bullies, to love offenders because of what and how the Father has forgiven us in Christ.

O Jesus, I am learning that each offense or prejudice nursed within my heart is but bait on Satan's hook fishing for mercy hoarders. Help me, Father to release the mercy You have bestowed. It is not only for me; it is extended to all, especially those in need of my grace. Teach me to love Your children generously!

Psalm 51 (Day 10): David's Nature vs Divine Nature

This morning, I faced one of my demons -- the tyranny of the urgent and my obsession with conquering it with perfectionism clinging to my heel. 

There was so much to do, so many tasks to tackle that I barely found enough time to sit down and reflect on God's Word. At the same time, I know my tendency when I make a commitment -- I want to make it happen in my own strength, in my own power.

And so, it was not surprising that I sought to write down a meditation on where I was in Psalm 51 in order to have a check mark next to said item on my "to-do" list.

And I did.
And I felt accomplished.

And then, bang!
The Holy Spirit came.
He graciously knocked on the door of my heart . . . and gently whispered:

My dear son, why are you challenging and defying the One you call your Lord and King? Did you not say you were commemorating the 50 days of waiting between Easter and Pentecost? Could you not wait for me to speak to you, to instruct you in the way you should go? Are you presuming to know what I want you to share without waiting for My power, My influence, My wisdom? Wait. Wait, dear one. Wait! I am speaking to you but you cannot hear Me until you wait long enough for your ears to be ready to listen.

Whoa!

I surrender, Holy Spirit of God!
Time to get back on my knees and wait . . .

As I waited and read and re-read, I began to hear and see and heed. I could see that Psalm 51 is a precious conversation, an intimate dialogue between David and God. Just like the Holy Spirit spoke to me a bit ago, God addressed David through the prophet Nathan and now he is ready to utter  his response to God.

His response in verse 1 reads, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love, according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions."

The above prayer displays David's nature and need: 

     -  he was a sinner in need of favor yet completely unworthy of mercy
     -  he should have been executed for murder and adultery (as per the law)
     -  he was made aware of his moral bankruptcy and total need of grace

David's prayer in verse 1 also highlights a fraction of God's nature:

     -  He is merciful
     -  He is full of love
     -  He is compassionate
     -  He is mighty to save
     -  He is worthy to erase blunders
     -  He is qualified to wipe away sin
     -  He is fit to blot out transgressions
     -  He is incredibly, immeasurably gracious

David's nature makes me realize how I need to examine my own heart.

Am I in need of God's mercy today? 
Am I longing after the fullness of God's love?
Am I hungrily salivating after God's compassion? 
Am I relying on God's mighty and outstretched arm to save me? 
Am I aware of God's worthiness to erase the blunders I have committed? 
Am I accepting the truth that only God is qualified to wipe away all of my sin, only He is fit to blot out my transgressions, and only He is immeasurably gracious?

What about you, my fellow sojourner?
Are you more inclined to turn to others first and foremost when in need?
Do you pray to the Lord of hosts as your first response or as your last resort?

May you and I both learn from David's example!

O, sweet Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Direct my mind to grasp how prayer is the communication I am to have with You continually. Thank You for teaching me how to pray and help me to grow in its discipline as long as I live on this earth. And may my nature bow down to Your glorious nature! I pray all of this in the holy name of Jesus who was and is and is to come. Amen!

Psalm 51 (Day 9): Much More

O Holy Spirit, 

as I open my Bible to read Psalm 51,

 I worship You

along with the Father and the Son.

You, indeed, are the Spirit of truth.

You speak throughout the Word of God

and assist me in grasping the profundity of its truth.

You teach me everything I need to know for life and godliness.

You bear witness to the Son.

You glorify Christ Jesus in the fruit You bear in me.

You are the Counselor sent from the Father

in the name of Jesus to dwell in my heart.

You breathe into my nostrils and my lungs

the very life of God.

O Spirit of truth, instruct me.

Guide me to know Christ -- Christ crucified!

Help me to glorify the Son -- the Man of Sorrows!

Breathe on me, O very breath of God!

In the name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen!

My heart wells up in gratitude for the opportunity given me to commemorate the 50 days of waiting between Easter and Pentecost -- the day the Holy Spirit was granted to each believer in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. On Easter Sunday, I began reflecting on Psalm 51 and will continue to do so until June 8 (Pentecost Sunday). My heart's desire is to glean and gain wisdom from the Most High as I meditate on this famous prayer of confession penned by King David.

The psalm goes like this:

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1    Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love;

according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2    Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3    For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me.
4    Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge.
5    Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6    Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7    Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8    Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
9    Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11  Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your holy Spirit from me.
12  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
13  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will turn back to You.
14  Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me
and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
15  O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
16  You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18  In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19  Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You;
then bulls will be offered on Your altar. 

Although it has only been nine (9) days since I began meditating on this passage this time around, Psalm 51 has been in my life ever since I gave my heart to the Lord at the ripe old age of five. So, the challenge I find myself facing today is this series of poisonous thoughts:

What new nuggets of wisdom could I possibly gain from this passage at this point?
Have I made the wrong decision in choosing to park in Psalm 51 for fifty days?
Isn't Psalm 51 like an old hat, so worn and overfamiliar?

Clear as a bell, the Holy Spirit quickened my heart to something Jesus said to the disciples as He was nearing the end of His earthly ministry:

"I have much more to say to you,
more than you can now bear.
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes,

He will guide you into all truth.

He will not speak on His own;

He will speak only what He hears,

and He will tell you what is yet to come."

John 16:12-13, NIV

It is the above promise that guides this season of waiting for me. Jesus, my Lord, has much more, and I mean so much more, to say to me through Psalm 51 than I can bear at this time. However, in time, day by day as I lean in closely to what the Holy Spirit testifies about the Son, more and more will be revealed to me:

     -  solid truth
     -  solid food
     -  solid faith

Would you, my friend, join me as I wait and learn from the Holy Spirit?

Psalm 51 (Day 8): David's Response

For eight (8) days now, I have been waiting.

Waiting is not remaining idle and fiddling one's thumb; rather, it is learning and gaining wisdom with a hopeful/grateful attitude despite harsh circumstances. 

So, I have been waiting . . . 
. . . just like the followers of Jesus spent fifty (50) days waiting for the Holy Spirit to come after Christ's tomb had been found empty -- surely, they gained much wisdom.

To commemorate the 50 days of waiting between Christ's resurrection and the day of Pentecost, I feel led by the Spirit to meditate on Psalm 51 and gain the wisdom Christ has in store for me and His bride. The past seven (7) days have kept me in the psalm heading, reading, "For the director of music. A Psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba." Today, I have come to the last fragment of the heading of Psalm 51 -- " . . . after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba."

“After David had committed adultery with Bathsheba” indicates to me that David's sin was known. I investigated the story behind Psalm 51 and found that, though David’s adultery with Bathsheba was premeditated, it was done with the full knowledge of several messengers, servants, and officials in the kingdom (2 Samuel 11-12). Those partners in crime surely worked hard to keep David’s dealings with Bathsheba and Uriah undercover. Still, his accomplices could not prevent the Lord from revealing such heinous crimes to Nathan although David had thought his secret was safe. 



Today, I believe God is still in the business of uncovering the sins we bury deep down in our hearts. He also reveals hidden truths to all who are willing to listen. At times, we may think our secret is safe until a spouse, a close relative, or a friend confronts us. Other times, we find ourselves not at all surprised when a believer chooses to confess a particular sin. I believe it is because the Lord has graciously placed in His people a sensitive spirit that understands and perceives things that are hidden. 



What truly blessed me is the fact that, when confronted, David did not choose denial. He quickly admitted his error, confessed the holiness of God, and repented of his sin. Thus, he showed that he believed in God and revered God’s holiness. That is the really beautiful part. 

May brokenness and confession be the grateful response we offer to the Father when He graciously reveals hidden and besetting sins in our hearts!

True belief and true repentance can only occur when we are willing to ask ourselves some hard and probing questions:



What is my sin? 

Is it bitterness, hatred, cheating, lying, resentment, impatience, immorality, lewdness, discord, entitlement, self-gratification, ingratitude, self-righteousness? One could never be exhaustive because the sins of mankind are too numerous. In fact, the Word claims that, given over to sin, mankind invents new ways every day to commit sin. And sin leads to death. Yet, there is grace. Grace invites us to name the sins that plague our hearts and renounce them, freeing each broken heart from the dungeon forcing it to hang onto the very blemishes that Christ died to eradicate from humanity. Oh, thank You, Lord!

Who or what is my Bathsheba? 

Like in the case of King David's fall, our “Bathsheba” represents the temptations or enticements to which we are prone to succumb. At times, temptations come in the form of a person or several people while at other times enticements can take the form of money, substance, reputation, human praise, etc. The “Bathshebas” of our lives are weeds and thistles against which we must diligently guard our hearts. Grace warns us against letting them go to seed in order to hinder such weeds from taking us down the path of self-destruction.

It is not enough to identify with the sinner, David; nor is it enough to recognize the "Bathshebas" of our lives. Grace beckons us to ponder and ask yet another question: 

Who or what is the Uriah in my life? 

Each time we give in to any sin, there is a Uriah –- an innocent or sacrificial lamb –- who pays the price. At times, it is a spouse, a close relative, or an intimate friend who bears the brunt of our selfishness and carries the shame of our self-indulgence. Other times, our “Uriah” may be the nuclear family or the ministry or the relationships that God has entrusted into our hands. Most of all, our ultimate “Uriah” is God Himself. Each time we sin, His holy name is reviled. Each time we indulge our wickedness, the Holy Spirit is grieved. Each time we rebel against the Father, Christ is once again crushed and crucified. Is the nectar of sin worth the perennial or perpetual death of our “Uriah”?

Am I concealing my sin or am I confessing it? 

An honest look at ourselves will tell us whether or not we are quick and willing to confess our sin. For the most part, confessing sins is utterly scary. We fear that people may no longer like us or worship the ground upon which we walk. The truth is: It is not a bad thing if upon confessing we lose the reverence of others because fear and reverence must be directed to God alone. In fact, admitting the error of our ways is a ticket to God’s mercy because it is a confession of the holiness and Lordship of Christ. That thought is in line with Proverbs 28:13 which teaches, 

"Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, 

but those who confess and renounce them find mercy." 

So, grace enlightens our eyes to see that, without confession, our hearts fail to receive the cleansing God freely offers.

We often suffer from spiritual amnesia and forget the power of grace over sin. So, we wonder, 

Should I really confess my sin? What if I get caught in the act? 

That dilemma leads us to hold onto sin (hiding or concealing it from the light) even longer -- a sorry practice that contributes to the persistent uncleanness of our hearts. If we get in the habit of sweeping sin under the rug, we will always be hindered from sharing our testimony and the Word of God will continue to be maligned in this world that is so antagonistic to Christ. If we continue on such a path, sin will destroy the moral fabric of our lives, leaving scars even after forgiveness -- scars such as no true repentance, no “before and after” story in our Christian walk, nothing that sets us apart from the world and therefore, no sustainable renewal or restoration for us. However, with grace, we are emboldened to "boast all the more gladly about our weaknesses" and invite Christ's power to rest on us.

Thank You, Holy Spirit for imparting Your wisdom. May our hearts receive Your holy instruction fully! In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!