Psalm 51 (Day 21): The Inmost Place

On this twenty-first morning of my 50 days of waiting for Pentecost Sunday, I praise the Father from whom all blessings flow!

One such blessing is the grace of walking through this rich penitent psalm under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So much has been unveiled in the last few weeks through the psalm heading and verses 1-4.

Blessed be the name of Christ!

Today, I am prompted to reflect upon verses 5 and 6, which read as follows:

"Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Surely You desire truth in the inner parts;

You teach me wisdom in the inmost place."

Having recognized the gravity of his transgressions and his need for the Lord's unfailing, compassionate love, David further delves into his natural sinful state. His statement stands in stark contrast to the popular belief that mankind is inherently good on its own. In fact, verse 5 reveals our innate leanings and abilities to sin greatly. It unmasks our propensity to elevate our perceived "rights to be . . .

vexed
entitled
annoyed
incensed
offended
perturbed

irate
immoral
irrational
impatient
irreverent
idolatrous
ungrateful

It attacks our pride and humbles us as we see that the littlest possible sin is an offense of gargantuan proportions -- that is, we are no different from the criminals on death row; we are no different from the thieves who were on either side of Christ on Calvary Hill. We, too, are clinging to deadly tendencies toward . . .

SELF

lust
envy
pride
wrath
greed
gluttony
slothfulness

This verse takes away our apathy and complacency over sin.
In fact, it heightens our need of salvation and augments our sense of gratitude for God's grace.

As verse 5 depicts how strongly and hypnotically sin's sway hijacks our hearts, so verse 6 vividly paints God's earnest and magnetic passion to inculcate truth and wisdom in our innermost selves. It encourages to cling to the message of God's Word when temptations come.

When our feet feel like straying from the path of obedience, this verse reminds us of the wisdom of persevering on the right path until the end.

When from the deepest recesses of our hearts comes the strong urge of sensual indulgence, this verse reminds us instead of the blessedness of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

So, grace does it again and again.

Humanity lives.
Christ Jesus died.
We owed the debt.
He made the payment.
We stand forgiven and free.
He was bound and hung forsaken.

He loves.
Oh, how He loves us!
He forgives.
Oh, how He forgives us!
He transforms.
Oh, how He transforms us!

Just like we have a great innate tendency to sin against our Lord, we have a great Lord whose innate loving grace pardons our sin and cleanses us within. Just like we gravitate toward foolish thinking and darkened counsel, we have a God who desires to develop wise thought and truthful speech inside of us.

Gratefully, the Lord spoke to David.
Graciously, He speaks to you and me.

Might you and I learn to recognize that it is in the Father's nature to pursue us and dish us out of the miry, slimy, inmost pit in which we tend to cocoon ourselves?
Might you and I learn to accept that it is in the Lord's plan to insert His wisdom into our innermost selves?

He is right.
He is just.
He is loving.
He is faithful.
He is gracious.

Soli Deo Gloria!