HAVING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
I liked Psalm
51 after singing in an Acapella group of this psalm. The psalmist expresses
deep sorrow over sin and the longing for God's mercy. What strikes me most is
the language in verse 10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a
right spirit within me.” This verse takes me back to Genesis where God
created. It teaches me that forgiveness is not about deleting guilt, but it is
about transformation and starting afresh.
“Purge me
with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
I learnt in a previous lesson that purging happened when people scraped off
meat remains from the skin of a butchered animal. David reminds us that it is
not outward rituals that save, but God’s mercy working within us. This reminds
me not to focus on religious performance but concentrate on inner
transformation.
Fish cannot
survive without water, plants need soil to grow, and as human beings we need
air, we cannot survive without God’s presence. “Take not your Holy Spirit
from me,” is an admission about needing God’s presence always.
Personally, I
have struggled with unforgiveness, anger, and avoidance. Meditating on Psalm 51,
I see myself needing mercy and renewal from God. It teaches me that hiding from sin only
deepens my guilt, but confession opens the door to healing. I learnt that no
one is beyond God’s forgiveness. It calls me to humble myself and admit that I
need God’s cleansing, and his presence daily.
