Psalm 51 - Create in me a clean heart

Yesterday we read the story of David and Bathsheba, how David's first mistake of not being the one to lead his own army, lead to sin and lies and death - the death of Uriah, the deaths of the other soldiers sent to the front lines with Uriah, and eventually the death of David's son with Bathsheba. David is confronted by Nathan and realizes all that he has done.

These are the words he writes. If you have read them already, read them again, and then maybe a third time for good measure. 

Look on me with a heart of mercy, O God,

according to Your generous love.

According to Your great compassion,

wipe out every consequence of my shameful crimes.

Thoroughly wash me, inside and out, of all my crooked deeds.

Cleanse me from my sins.

For I am fully aware of all I have done wrong,

and my guilt is there, staring me in the face.

It was against You, only You, that I sinned,

for I have done what You say is wrong, right before Your eyes.

So when You speak, You are in the right.

When You judge, Your judgments are pure and true.

For I was guilty from the day I was born,

a sinner from the time my mother became pregnant with me.

But still, You long to enthrone truth throughout my being;

in unseen places deep within me, You show me wisdom.

Cleanse me of my wickedness with hyssop, and I will be clean.

If You wash me, I will be whiter than snow.

Help me hear joy and happiness as my accompaniment,

so my bones, which You have broken, will dance in delight instead.

Cover Your face so You will not see my sins,

and erase my guilt from the record.

Create in me a clean heart, O God;

restore within me a sense of being brand new.

Do not throw me far away from Your presence,

and do not remove Your Holy Spirit from me.

Give back to me the deep delight of being saved by You;

let Your willing Spirit sustain me.

If You do, I promise to teach rebels Your ways

and help sinners find their way back to You.

Free me from the guilt of murder, of shedding a man’s blood,

O God who saves me.

Now my tongue, which was used to destroy, 

will be used to sing with deep delight of how right and just You are.

O Lord, pry open my lips

that this mouth will sing joyfully of Your greatness.

I would surrender my dearest possessions or destroy 

all that I prize to prove my regret,

but You don’t take pleasure in sacrifices or burnt offerings.

What sacrifice I can offer You is my broken spirit

because a broken spirit, O God,

a heart that honestly regrets the past,

You won’t detest.

Be good to Zion; grant her Your favor.

Make Jerusalem’s walls steady and strong.

Then there will be sacrifices made,

burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings,

With right motives that will delight You.

And costly young bulls will be offered up to Your altar, 

only the best.

If you have ever been confronted with your own brokenness and the destruction it has caused in your life and in the lives of everyone around you, you will hear and understand David's heartache in these words and the hope that he clings to of being restored. This is our daily prayer and our hope - that somehow we will be looked on with mercy, that are broken hearts will be made clean and new, and the destruction we have caused will be healed. David's ending to this Psalm is particularly powerful as he prayers for his city, his people, that his sin will not carry over into them.