Bible Studies

So, I have  been studying through Psalm 51 over the past few days. I do not have a bible-devotional book that I am going through at the moment, so I looked over some of my notes from ATF this past spring, and found a note mentioning Psalm 51.

If you aren't familiar with this psalm, it is basically David's response in prayer to the Lord after he had been confronted by Nathan after David had taken Bathsheba and killed her husband.
This Psalm sings confession, repentance, and restoration. It starts out with David....well, I'll post it here, and then dive into it.
PSALM 51
Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence  
  or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    so that sinners will turn back to you.¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
    you who are God my Savior,
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is^[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion,
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
    in burnt offerings offered whole;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

So, it basically begins with David begging God's forgiveness. He admits his wrongdoing, and acknowledges the fact that he is a sinner. He then repents. 

Repentance is not just saying " I'm sorry. " Repentance is admitting that you were wrong, apologizing for that wrong, and TURNING from that wrong to pursue Christ.
David says, "Cleanse me with Hyssop". Hyssop was a type of mint-y plant that was used for making something clean/presentable. 

He then goes on to say that God is good. He acknowleges that God is Soveriegn and Merciful. The Lord delights in praise and adoration. "Restore me to the Joy of your Salvation, and grant me a willing Spirit, to sustain me."

As far as the offering goes, that can simply be an offering of yourself! Christ paid your debts. All you have to do is accept the forgiveness. But that also means you are offering yourself to the Lord for all eternity. This is the best thing you will ever do. Ever. :)

I'd like to also mention that David mentions the Holy Spirit

 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

"Do not...take your Holy Spirit from me" does NOT refer to loosing one's salvation. Once you are in Christ's hands, he will not let you go. Ever. But when you are in sin, your "conscience", as some may say, will "guide you". Your guilt will stand. But if you ignore that long enough, you will become "immune" to it. You will get so used to it, or OK with it, that it will no longer affect you. (see my post from ATF 2014) I am speaking from personal experience. I am sure you all can relate with your own experiences.

Just like with the Israelites when Samson "messed with their peace" with sin, you may just need someone to mess with your comfort.  

I would highly encourage you all to take time to pray through Psalm 51. Any time you need a prayer for repentance, this is definitely a good one to go to! It is not the only one, but it is a very good place to start! :-)

P.S. The participation outcome of the 1-K Word Dash was minimal. The contest is canceled. :D