Verse of the Day - weekend 11/22

Through the Bible - Ezekiel 29-31- 1 Peter 1-2

Good morning,

For today's verse we'll go to the book of Psalms, chapter 51.

Most of us will have to admit that we've "blown it" to some extent at some point in our lives. We've let people down, we've sinned against them. This chapter says a lot to us about those times; what needs to be done as well as what God can do out of it.

One of the dangers of quoting individual verses is to take them out of context, which I hope that I do not do. As you read a chapter like Psalm 51 it's easy to memorize verses, hold them dear to ourselves, but can easily miss out on the subtleties or even profundities of the surrounding verses.

Today's verses are:
Ps 51:16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart —
These, O God, You will not despise. NKJV

or from The Message:
Ps 51:16-18 Going through the motions doesn't please you,
a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
don't for a moment escape God's notice.

These verses are often memorized and considered on their own. But, back up a verse:

Ps 51:15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. NKJV

The sacrifices that God delights in are or include, praises from our lips out of a "broken", contrite (crushed like mortar) heart.

David had been crushed and broken by his sin, but he is now being built up. Verses 10-12 speak of God creating a clean heart. The word create is the same one used in Genesis where God created the world out of nothing, being "formless and void". Isn't that how we are when we hit rock bottom? Empty and out of shape out of sorts?

David had been crushed, he had been brought down to nothing in his mind, but he sought God, sought forgiveness, and was ready to and desired to be "renewed".

A brick wall that is "out of plumb" needs to be torn down and rebuilt. God uses the "mortar" of taking our broken spirit and builds a new wall brick by brick using the plumbline of Jesus and the written word of God.

Read the psalm below. How does it speak to you? Have you blown it? Are you ready to be built back up?

Don't go through the motions, seek Him this weekend, desire and pray for a clean heart.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Ps 51:1-52:1

A Prayer of Repentance
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51 Have mercy upon me, O God,According to Your lovingkindness;According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,And done this evil in Your sight — That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness,That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins,And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O 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 uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,The God of my salvation,And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips,And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,A broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise. 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

NKJV