today's meditation (Ps.51) Living the Gospel Message

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 51:1-19)   Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness;

     According to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings.
2   Wash me thoroughly from my guilt 
     And cleanse me from my sin.
3   For I know my wrongdoings,
     And my sin is constantly before me.
4   Against You, You only, I have sinned 
     And done what is evil in Your sight,
     So that You are justified when You speak 
     And blameless when You judge.

5   Behold, I was brought forth in guilt,
     And in sin my mother conceived me.
6   Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
     And in secret You will make wisdom known to me.
7   Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
     Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8   Let me hear joy and gladness,
     Let the bones You have broken rejoice.
9   Hide Your face from my sins 
     And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

10 Create in me a clean heart, God,
     And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
     And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
     And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach wrongdoers Your ways,
     And sinners will be converted to You.

14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation;
     Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
     So that my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
     You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
     A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.

18 By Your favor do good to Zion;
     Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
     In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
     Then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

This psalm so very clearly lays out the gospel message!!!   David asked for forgiveness, which God does.  And once we are Christians, God chooses not "to remember" our sins.  Our account is wiped clean.  When we get to heaven and stand before Him, all He will see is Jesus' righteousness.

David used broken bones as another way to say that God humbled his heart so that he might find joy and gladness.  The only real sacrifice we can offer to God is our whole heart - completely humbled to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Then as believers, we will want to give our tithes and offerings and service of sacrifice, which will be to His glory, as it is done through Him and because of Him.

Even once we are Christians, we still need God.  Just like David, we should be asking God to help us share the gospel message, which requires us to not only use the right words, but we should be living and practicing what we preach.  So just like David, we should be asking God to keep us from sin, and to keep us steadfast.  Notice that it is not in our strength that we should try to live a holy life, but we should look to God to do that for us.  All believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide, motivate and convict us.  And He is always with us and will not leave us...

(Ephesians 1:13-14)  In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.