51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
51:4 Against 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.
51:5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
51:6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow
Psalm 51:1-7
If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 (NRSV)
Friends told me that my sudden illness was an allergic reaction, but I didn’t really believe them because I’d never had allergies. Finally, with a high fever and barely able to move, I begged my wife to take me to the hospital. I remember saying, “I guess I must have some sort of allergy.” The hospital staff isolated the problem and took corrective measures that relieved my physical distress. Later it struck me that until I admitted my problem, little could be done to save me from it. I had to be open to the remedy for my condition. I heard a minister say one time, “The hardest step in the act of redemption is the step where the sinner accepts the need for it.” Only after we admit that we are sinners can we accept God’s grace offered as a remedy for our sinfulness.
Prayer
Dear Father, we have sinned, and we fear that you will reject us because of it. Help us to accept your grace and draw close to you. Amen.
Prayer focus - Those who feel beyond God’s grace
