INTIMATELY ENGAGED WITH GOD ONCE AGAIN
Let me hear joyH8342 and gladnessH8057; let the bones You have crushed rejoiceH1523. Restore to me the joyH8342 of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will singH7442 of Your righteousness.
Psalm 51:8, 12, 14
In Psalm 51, David puts all his cards on the table, lays his heart completely open, transparent to the Lord, within David’s own humanity. Not only did David commit adultery with Bathsheba, but he conspired to have her husband, Uriah, murdered.
2 Samuel 11:14-15 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
Uriah had been one of David’s mighty men, his completely loyal companions. In fact, David trusted Uriah to the point that he knew Uriah would not peak into a letter intended for Joab. Coldly, he had Uriah hand deliver the command that would have him murdered! Even though David knew that the all-knowing God saw his egregious sin, he openly and humbly confessed it in agreement with God’s view of things. David had been devastated to the point of feeling crushed by the weight of his sin, but he had eager anticipation that God would bring him back into communion with Himself. David needed to be restored to be fit for holy service, and to be directed by the Holy Spirit. Then he would have the capacity to joyfully praise God because God and David would be intimately engaged once again.
Have you committed an overt sin in the past or failed to obey God completely, thus hindering the joy of your journey? Confess it, and by the power of His Spirit, turn back to the Lord. He will forgive you and cleanse you.
1 John 1:9 (AMPC) If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].
God will restore your joy of being in right relationship with Him and bearing fruit for His glory. The Enemy, Satan, can no longer accuse you because you have been cleansed. You can stop Satan in his tracks by claiming the promise of 1 John 1:9.
Father, we know You see everything and know everything, but You instruct us to confess our sins to You. Therefore, we will be obedient to Your word and trust that when we confess, You will forgive us and make us brand new. You will restore us to the point of being fit for Your service and Your Kingdom. Thank You, Lord, that Your grace extends to us even though we were born sinners by nature.
David’s confession in Psalm 51 set to music by John Michael Talbot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8QlvvlaBnM