repentance

Good evening friends,
I'm sorry I didn't send this out earlier today, but since it's so late and since today and tomorrow's reading go together, I thought I would combine them into a single reading. Our reading is Psalm 51, which tradition says is King David's prayer of repentance after he had his officer Uriah killed to steal his wife, Bathsheba. The psalm is a beautiful reflection on God's forgiveness and our need. Many phrases in Psalm 51 are familiar and it is worth reading often when we feel lost of far from God. God already knows our shortcomings and loves us anyway. Don't let your sense of sin separate you from God; God is ready to hear you and heal you. 

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 51:1-19

¹Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; 

according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.

⁵Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.

⁶You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

 ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

¹¹Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶For you have no delight in sacrifice;

if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.

¹⁷The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,

¹⁹then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.