january 23, 2023

Psalms 51:12 (ESV)

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Pastor's Note
In this psalm, King David is repenting of his sin. Have you ever wondered how God says that David was a man after His own heart? Yet David committed adultery with another man’s wife and got her pregnant while he was out fighting Israel’s enemies. David then, trying to cover up his sin added even more sin. He brought her husband back from the war zone, got him drunk in the hope that he would sleep with his wife and give the appearance that the child was his. When that didn’t work, David plotted to put him on the front lines where the fighting was the heaviest so that he would be killed. David’s plot worked and Bathsheba’s husband Uriah was killed. How could David be a man after God’s own heart? It’s a good question. In David’s grievous, gross sin, God did not turn a blind eye. David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin against God. God was on the verge of killing David. But David did something…he repented! David knew and agreed that his sin was a direct assault on God Himself. He confessed his sin, he turned from his evil, and God, in His mercy and grace, forgave him. See, David did wrong but when confronted, he did the only thing that could make it right…he repented! He turned 180 degrees from his sin and turned to God for forgiveness. Here’s the point from the scripture…sin is a joy killer! It steals our joy. But when we repent, God restores the joy of our salvation. Some people consider repentance a bad thing. But hell will be full of people that wish they could have one more chance to embrace it. Do we have sin that we need to repent of? Of course! The Apostle John (1 John 1:8) said that “if we say that we have no sin, we are liars and the truth is not in us.” Therefore, when we sin, the call is to repent. Confess it to God knowing we have an Advocate, Christ Jesus our Lord. He is always willing to restore the joy of our salvation. Have a blessed day. Be diligent in your prayers to the Lord. I hope you know that it is an absolute privilege for me to be able to pray for you!
Pray for me as I pray for you!
God Bless
Pastor Jamie