Week 21: Psalm 51
Psalm 51
In Psalm 51, we find David with a “broken and contrite heart” as he comes to terms with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. If you're not familiar with the story, the long and short of it is that he acted upon his lustful desires and took a woman to bed with him who belonged to another man. When she finds out that she is pregnant, he completely loses it, and in an attempt to cover up his sin, he has her husband murdered. A good friend and prophet, Nathan, comes to him and confronts him about his awful deeds. David sees the error in his ways and is broken before the Lord. This is where Psalm 51 begins—a man who has reached rock bottom and found that there is no way to go but up by fixing his eyes on God alone as his refuge and strength.
The Psalm begins with David's honest cries to the Lord as he acknowledges his sin in juxtaposition against God's holiness:
Have mercy on me
Wash me thoroughly
I know my transgressions
Against you only have I sinned
Behold, you delight in truth
David is done running away from the consequences and finally decides to face the facts—he messed up. Big time. God was not pleased with his former denial of the truth, but He is pleased with his present acceptance of it.
Sister, do you know the difference between guilt and shame? Guilt tells us that we did something wrong, and it leads us to make it right with God and those whom we have offended. Shame focuses on ourselves as a person and tells us that something is wrong with us. When we tumble down into the shame spiral, we are believing that our sin is too big for God to redeem and that we have messed up everything. But sister, nothing is too bad for God to redeem. No one is too far gone. We are new creations in Christ Jesus! (2 Cor. 5:17)
God delights in making us more like Him. This includes when we mess up, whether intentional or not. In verses 7-12, David expresses his desire to turn from his sin. We call this repentance—the desire to walk in truth instead of going our own way. He says to the Lord, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right 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.”
Shame would tell David to bow his head low, look no one in the eyes, and cover up in isolation. Shame would drive him to secrecy and more temptations. But godly sorrow leads to repentance. And the forgiveness and restoration of the Lord bring him to a place where he wants to hold his high, ready to share with others so that they do not make the same mistakes he has made. Verses 13-17 find David imagining up the times he will be able to use this story as one of praise and exaltation in order to encourage.
Can I be honest with you for a moment? I have been in David's place—not the exact circumstances of course, but so full of shame that I felt as though a scarlet letter were branded upon my chest for the world to see. I have been mired in sin and wondered, “What if they knew? What would happen if they found out? Am I really a believer if I keep choosing this over God's ways?” The way of sin is alluring, but it leads only to death. Only in God's loving arms and in His path can we find life and peace.
Think of your deepest darkest secret, or even just one you don't feel all that comfortable talking about. If you've truly repented, have you been able to feel the weight of sin released from your shoulders? Because if shame is still whispering to you, telling you lies about who you are, the enemy has found a foothold in your life that he will be very happy to maintain if you don't fight against it. We are free in Christ to be all that He has created us to be. The enemy does not want us to believe that we are fully forgiven. But according to this psalm, God:
is full of steadfast love
has abundant mercy
blots out our transgressions
cleanses us from our sins
teaches us wisdom in the secret heart
brings joy and gladness to our hearts
creates in us a clean heart
renews a right spirit within us
restores our joy
David was “a man after God's own heart.” Not because he lived a perfect life—far from it. But rather because he chose to place himself at the feet of his Father again and again, begging him to do a new work in his heart, that he might bring him glory, honor, and praise while encouraging others to do the same. May it be so with us.
-Jessica
