Weekly Devotions

Psalm 51:1-12

This is psalm was written by David after his affair with Bathsheba. The king had taken the wife of another man and fathered a child, as well as planned for the husband’s death in battle.

The prophet Nathan confronted David over his sin and to David’s credit he repented and sought forgiveness. The consequences of the sin resulted in loss but God, in his grace, heard David’s cry for mercy. David believed in spite of his sin and failure as a king that God would hear his plea for mercy.

At the heart of biblical faith is the conviction that we serve a God who is rich in mercy towards us. God’s mercy is an expression of God’s faithfulness, the determination not to give up on us no matter how much sin may mar our lives. Part of what it means to be human is to know the possibility for restoration and redemption when we acknowledge our sins, repent and turn in a different direction.

So much of what Lent is about is repentance, our willingness to confess our sins, not cover them up or attempt to hide them. For it is in confession that we acknowledge the harm of our deeds to others as well as ourselves. It is in confession that we unburden ourselves of the guilt that can poison life. Confession prepares us to receive mercy and forgiveness that provide cleansing and a fresh start. This is the restored joy that David longed to receive, the joy of knowing that God’s presence and fellowship were available again.

There is much that we need to confess as a church, as a community and as a country. There are many things we have been wrong about and there are ways we have wronged others. May we find the courage that David found to confess our wrongs and to seek God’s mercy. For in doing so we can experience the cleansing that brings back joy.