Psalm 51 (Day 49): Amplified

Grace did it again!

I began reflecting on Psalm 51 with a bit of apprehension. I did not know how I could stretch nineteen verses to cover 50 days. Today, on this forty-ninth day of waiting for Pentecost Sunday, grace shows me that I could go on and on and on and there would still be an ocean of untapped revelations left to be granted me by the Holy Spirit.

Praise the name of Jesus!

I am grateful to God for teaching me daily and for faithfully guiding me through David's penitential prayer. Before ending this 50-day journey tomorrow on Pentecost Sunday, I want to take this day to read the amplified version of Psalm 51 as the prayer of my own heart, inserting my name and naming my own deficiencies in my time alone with the Father.

May the soul of each reader soar as these words get lifted up to the Author of life!

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin! For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment. [Rom. 3:4.]

Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful]. [John 3:6; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:3.] Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean [ceremonially]; wash me, and I shall [in reality] be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness and death, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness (Your rightness and Your justice).

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You delight not in sacrifice, or else would I give it; You find no pleasure in burnt offering. [I Sam. 15:22.] My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, justice, and right, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then bullocks will be offered upon Your altar" (Psalm 51:1-19, AMP).

Thank You for Your grace that pardons, washes, cleanses, conditions, scrubs, wipes, disinfects, forgives, justifies, prepares, renews, restores, whitens, teaches, saves, inspires, opens, enlightens, blesses, empowers, rebuilds, increases, and amplifies us. . . ad infinitum. In the name of Jesus! Amen.