Psalm 51

In Psalm 51 we see how and why David is called “a man after God’s own heart”. David has been confronted by his friend and prophet, Nathanial, about his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and organizing the murder of her husband. This is clearly a dark time in his life, and we see that being a man after God’s own heart is not about how good you are, but how you respond in life. David appeals to God’s grace and mercy for forgiveness and he confesses that he needs his sins to be blotted out and forgiven by God. David confesses that the Lord has abundant mercy and steadfast love, and in verses 6-7 we see that God teaches us wisdom and cleanses us whiter than snow.

In verses 9-11, we see David asking God to hide his face from his sins, create a clean heart in him and not remove his Holy Spirit from him. I love verse 12, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” We can seek joy or happiness in the world for years or decades and miss that our joy comes from the Lord!

Our lives are full of requirements, but the life of a believer is not one of requirement (law) but of response to the forgiveness believers have in Jesus. David’s response in verse 13 is to teach sinners the ways of God, sing of the righteousness of God and declare his praise. When we sin, how will we respond? In rebellion or in repentance? How will we respond to God’s restoration?

Big ideas from Psalm 51 - Don’t miss the blessing of a friend like Nathan to hold you accountable and to point you to the Lord. We all need to have a Nathan and to be a Nathan to someone. Repentance can sound intimidating, but it’s often the path to joy. We live a life of responding to the love God has shown us by loving him and loving others. Lord, make us a people after your own heart.

By: Richard Self