Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Be Cleansed by the Redeemer

Bible Reading:    Psalm 51

Key Verse Vs 10

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me”. Vs 10

DEVOTION

Psalm 51 is very familiar to all of us. As Sunday school students, most of us learned this psalm by heart and recited it countless times; and even now most of us recite it on a daily basis. This psalm occupies a significant place in our worship. In our liturgy this psalm assumes a prominent role in almost all our sacraments. In fact, Psalm 51 has an important place in the liturgies of most mainline churches. This psalm is referred to as the psalm of Repentance or Penitential psalm. The background of this psalm is detailed in II Samuel chapters 11 and 12. King David committed adultery with Bathsheba who was Uriah’s wife. David then tried to cover up his act by having Uriah killed in the war. He was an adulterer and murderer at the same time. This psalm was written by King David as a confession, a cry for cleansing and restoration after Prophet Nathan confronted him.  
In order to be cleansed and restored we have to confess our sins and beg for God’s love and mercy. We are not capable to cleanse ourselves. First and foremost, we have to recognize and admit our failures and plea for mercy. Like David, let us appeal for His unfailing love rather than our own merit.  As we see in verse 3, David acknowledges his sins are “ever before me”, moving from hiding his sin to total surrender and honesty. To be cleansed, we have to rely on the power of the Redeemer. The appeal “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean (vs.7) refers to the ultimate purification or cleansing found in our Redeemer.
Heart is the source of sin and requires a new heart. Like David, let us confess our sins and pray “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (vs 10). When we confess our sins and pray God will forgive our sins and inequities and give us a new heart. In Ezekiel chapter 36 vs 26 we read God’s promise: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you, your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Despite his sins and failures, King David became a man of God’s own heart.  In Acts chapter 13 we read “After removing Saul, (the first King of Israel; He (God) made David their King. He testified concerning him: “I have found David, son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do” (vs 22). Let us re-dedicate ourselves by confessing our sins with a penitent and contrite heart, which is the real submission of our whole person to God.
Genuine repentance comes from a contrite and broken heart. Such repentance leads to forgiveness, transformation and restoration. Like David, let us also ask for the “renewed” or “right” spirit. David fears losing God’s presence, and plead that the “Holy Spirit” not be taken away from him, let us also plead to the Lord to restore us and fill us with the Holy Spirit. True repentance is an inward surrender to the Redeemer. Psalm 51 reveals that over and above all our remorse and resolutions, true confession involves throwing ourselves at the mercy of the Lord. This psalm starts with a phrase “Have mercy on me O God”. This phrase is repeated many times in our liturgy. Let us also seek God’s mercy or “Kurielaison”. 

PRAYER

O Lord, restore us to the joy of your salvation.  We pray for forgiveness of our innumerable sins on account of your great mercy and unfailing love. Help us to live with a clean heart. 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 The gap between God and His creation has been restored with the shed blood of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 


Mathew K. Lukose
Sehion Mar Thoma Church, Dallas

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