From Psalm 41...
1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
2 the LORD protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3 The LORD sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.4 As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against you!"
Today was a good day for me to read this one, because I needed to be reminded of God's promises to those who are compassionate and generous to the needy. I'm not going to blow my own horn and declare how much charitable giving we put on our tax form this year, but it was a lot. We are very generous, and mostly, we are very quiet about it. The only reason I mention it here is because of this Psalm.
God has promised that he will protect me. He will heal me when I sin against him. And he will not give me over to the ultimate will of my enemy.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 51
Another good one to read today. This is a Psalm of confession and is really good for anyone to use as such. He not only focuses on the confession, but he also centers on going forward. He doesn't stop and wallow in his depravity or self-pity. He confesses, asks God for restoration, and moves on. In verses 7-12, he is asking God for good things, such as setting his feet to dancing, and shaping a "Genesis week" in his life. He asks for "fresh wind" in his sails.
Also, David understands that his sin is not just a wrong he committed, but that it is against God. You can see this in verses 4-6. In fact, in more literal translations, it says, "Against you and you alone, have I sinned."
Consider David's love for God. Now, here is a huge thing. Something that I fail to remember or think about, and I bet you do, too. David's love for God is more important than his sin! I'll say that again.
David's love for God is more important than his sin!
This is a fantastic Psalm to pray to God personally. There are many Psalms that are, and I enjoy praying them to God sometimes, and personalizing them as I go.
God have mercy on me, a sinner.
Grace and peace.