One key lesson that the Psalms teach us is to pray our emotions. We come to God, into His presence and process our unfiltered, raw emotions with God. Psalm 51 is a lot like Psalm 130–they both are about the question: What do we do with our guilt and shame?
Psalm 51’S backstory: King David stays home from war, goes to his rooftop and sees Bathsheba. He sleeps with her. Later, she becomes pregnant. David then schemes how to make it seem like her husband is the father. But he is serving with the army. David’s plan doesn’t work. The person who wrote 73 of the Psalms, David, wrote a note to his general to send the husband into battle at the front so he would be killed. Uriah, the husband, dies in that battle. David has covered everything up!
Later, David moves Bathsheba into the palace. The people think: What a nice King caring for that war widow! Until one day, the prophet Nathan shows up with a message from God. Nathan tells David a story about a wealthy man who has 1000s of sheep, who takes from a poor neighbor his one pet sheep he owns. Nathan asks what David thinks should happen the the rich guy. David: That guy should be executed! Nathan–that guy? David, you are that guy. All David’s cover-up and sin is exposed.
Psalm 51 is the story of David praying his guilt and shame.
Forgiveness and Healing Starts With Our Remorse and Brokenness
“Have mercy on me, O God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.” Psalm 51:1-3 (NLT). David’s prayer starts with him admitting his sin and asking for mercy. David references his “sin”, his “iniquity”, and his “transgressions”. David is making it clear that his sin is deep–there is no minimizing it or excusing it.
David then prays for God’s mercy. David asks for forgiveness based on what he knows about God’s character: that God is merciful. David knows God’s commitment to him and to us is–unfailing love.
“Oh, give me back my joy again; You have broken me—now let me rejoice.” Psalm 51:8 (NLT). When God reveals our sin to us–it is painful. Like a doctor who sets a broken bone, it is God who sets and heals. And this is mercy. David is asking God to break him and bring healing.
“You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” Psalm 51:16-17 (NLT). David says: God, You want not just worship and sacrifice–what You want is a broken heart, and understanding that I have failed and sinned. God, I’m saying: I’m sorry.
Going Beyond Forgiveness
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 (NLT). How do we get a clean heart? Ask God. Put your trust in Him today. He gives a new life, a new start, and a new outlook. “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You.” Psalm 51:12 (NLT). David prays to God: Please restore my relationship with You and sustain me in my situation.
We can check all the boxes, do all the steps in Psalm 51, and say all the right words, but if in the back of our minds we are planning to sin in the same way again–then God’s grace isn’t really taking root and we aren’t really repenting and turning to God’s path. What God desires is that we have a true repentance and change in our heart.
Ask God for that kind of heart, He will accept it, and accept us because of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.
