Psalm 51 (Day 33): Merciful Granting

For thirty-three days now, I have parked myself in Psalm 51 -- a penitential psalm composed by David after being confronted by the prophet Nathan about his ultra public misdeeds (lust, adultery, murder, and cover-up) affecting his whole kingdom.  This psalm has been made richer for me because it is the vehicle being used by God to help me learn from the Holy Spirit as I commemorate the 50 days of waiting from Easter to Pentecost (scheduled for June 8 this year).

Though David's words were personal in nature, the public tenor of his transgressions inspired him to invite all the Israelites to join him in prayer and singing. In fact, the first ten verses have gripped my own heart as I consider my own sinfulness:

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your unfailing love;

according to Your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions

and my sin is always before me.

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.

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.
Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God;

and renew a right spirit within me."
Ps 51:1-10, NIV

Mercy.

A powerful cry for mercy.

Cleansing.

A desperate plea for cleansing.

Presence.

An intimate request for divine presence.

This cry, plea, or request is further elaborated upon in the next two verses:

"Do not cast me from Your presence

or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me."

Ps 51:11-12, NIV

Some individuals may read the above words and begin to doubt their salvation or start thinking that, once granted, God may remove the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from them simply because they do not measure up to His holy standards. 

As Christ's beloved, you and I are called to guard our hearts and not allow ourselves to be fooled by the evil one. Using doubt and self-effort, Satan often tries to lure us into thinking that our sinful hearts and wayward steps have wandered too far from the gospel and that, consequently, resisting his temptations is futile. The deceiver further purports that coming back to the Father is useless because the Master has already cast us away from His presence.

That is never true.

Christ is compassionate, gracious, and immeasurably patient -- slow to anger and abounding in love. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

His love is higher than the height of the heavens.
His grace is deeper than the depth of the deepest ocean.
His forgiveness is wider than the width expanding from the east to the west.
His removal of shame and guilt is so utterly complete that we need not dwell on our sins nor lose sleep over them.

Our blunders and blemishes are kaput, gone, finito.

You and I are invited to no longer attempt to dwell upon past offenses to the point of self-condemnation because, in Christ, the Father remembers our sins no more.

The above discussion in no way contradicts the sentiment of David who wrote this penitential prayer to be sung by the whole assembly of worshippers. As mentioned earlier, Psalm 51 is a cry for mercy. And mercy is not only a personal need, it is also a communal need.

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Rom 3:23

And because "all have sinned," God's justice demands the rightful wages for such an exorbitant transaction.

"For the wages of sin is death,

but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Rom 6:23

In other words, strict justice would have God's fire consume every single person who has ever lived because every single individual sins. However, the Father's mercy (unfailing love and great compassion) led Him to consider something altogether lovely, worthy, and wonderful -- the death of One on behalf of all. 

Therefore, Christ died . . .

              . . . stayed in the grave for three days

                                                       . . . and rose again!

What a merciful gift!

Moreover, knowing that we are so prone to wander away from His holy ways, Jesus promised to grant us the Holy Spirit to counsel, convict, challenge, strengthen, empower, and guide us in His righteousness. That merciful granting is a direct fulfillment of the Father's promise to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel,

"I will put my Spirit in you

and move you to follow my decrees

and be careful to keep my laws."

Eze 36:27

Today, you and I are invited to join David in feeling at the deepest level our very need for the Lord's mercy. It is such a convicting need that cautions us not to ever ever presume upon the oh s0! costly grace of Christ that supplies the joy of salvation.

Today, you and I are ushered into a place of gratitude for the granting of the Holy Spirit. He is the willing Spirit who sustains us, the merciful gift that heartens us to partake in the bounty and blessedness of His fruitfulness in those who obey Christ.