Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:10-12
If we’re honest, we all have made some terrible decisions in our lives. Some were probably harmless in the end – just teaching us never to do that again (like bungee jumping or wearing white after Labor Day.)
But some of our choices were worse. The kind where we so badly wanted to go back in time and handle that whole situation differently. But it was too late. The mistake had already been made.
David writes his prayer in Psalm 51 after he sinned with Bathsheba (adultery), had Uriah, her husband killed (murder), and then tried to cover it all up (unfaithful to Israel.)
In our lives we may have felt that we were beyond the reach of God’s mercy, grace, and love. This powerful Psalm is a reminder of our need of confession and repentance. Remember, nothing that we do is beyond the reach of Christ’s atonement for us.