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July 25, 2019
The word Sabbath means to cease. So as Dr. Brooks is away on sabbatical, we will be using his original devotionals from 2009 on the book of Psalms. He will resume The Bible Project devotionals upon his return. Thank you for reading with us and praying for him as he replenishes his soul for the next seven years of ministry.
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Psalm 51
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 you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret 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 pure 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,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
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 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
New International Version (NIV)
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What is the worst thing you have ever done? David had no difficulty answering that question. It began on a rooftop and ended in adultery and murder. But somehow David had been able to compartmentalize those deeds and rationalize them. He married Bathsheba and they were expecting their child. David had fooled himself, if not anybody else. He certainly had not fooled God.
Nathan, whose name means “gift” arrived with the gift of accountability for David. When he told a parable which angered David, and David passed judgment on the misdeed of another, Nathan answered him, “You are the man.” This is the moment when David wrote Psalm 51. At the worst moment of his life, he confesses his sin and calls upon God to forgive him and restore his joy.
Someone has said, “Sin will always take you farther than you wanted to go; keep you longer than you wanted to stay; and cost more than you wanted to pay.”
What exactly did David’s sin cost him? It cost him his credibility with the nation and the enemy nations. Adultery cost him the respect of his own family. But worst of all was the loss of joy. Remember that David was a joyful shepherd and singer. He may have pretended and acted as though he had not lost his joy. But everybody who knew him knew that it was so. Joy is always one of the first casualties of willful sin.
Listen to David’s plea for restoration. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” When he returns to God with a broken spirit and contrite heart, God will not despise him. Remember David’s words in Psalm 30, “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Our sin costs us joy. But our Savior is able to restore it.
What is the worst thing you have ever done? Jesus died for that sin. Receive his forgiveness and never go back. Let him restore your joy. Go, and sin no more. May the joy of the Lord be your strength today.
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| This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan. Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download
the app at readscripture.org. Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully,
Duane
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