Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. Psalms 51:1-2
David, a man after God’s own heart, had his own set of troubles just like everyone else. Like so many of us, at this time David had pretty much run his life into the ground –he was guilty of adultery and murder. I imagine he saw what was coming. Have you ever been there? Have you ever been in the middle of something you knew was not right and you knew that it would all blow up one day? Sometimes sin has such a grip on us that without Divine intervention, we aren’t going to get away from it.
There comes a time when we can’t keep going in our sin anymore. There comes a time when God brings us face to face with the sin in our lives and face to face with the realityof that sin. We can live in sin and deny that we are sinning but that won’t work forever. God deals with us at some point, and David was at that point. Guilty. Ashamed. Alone. Realizing his sin and seeking God’s forgiveness. David must have felt a little hopeless, but David knew God offers hope in forgiveness.
Our hope is not found in our circumstances. So often our circumstances seem impossible and certainly make forgiveness seem impossible or like it doesn’t matter. But our hope is found in the empty grave because that empty grave is what makes forgiveness even possible. The empty grave is the promise of forgiveness – our forgiveness for our sins and the only hope of the possibility of being able to forgive others in our humanness. Because He has forgiven us, we can forgive others.
The need of forgiveness or an awareness of sin and the damage it has done leaves man crying out for freedom from guilt and shame. All of God's blessings are based in relationship. Forgiveness is the doorway for that relationship. The gifts of forgiveness are being surrounded by lovingkindness, joy and gladness. God has dealt with our sin on the cross. The penalty is paid for those who will acknowledge their sin, and need, express their guilt and claim God’s provision. See your sin as God sees it and do with it what God wants done and receive BLESSED FORGIVENESS.
Scripture to Claim:
Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. Psalms 51:9-1
