- Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar. Psalm 51:18-19 – We learn from the header of this psalm that it was written by David concerning the time when the prophet Nathan confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba. Likely for months David existed in a state of unconfessed sin after that night with Bathsheba. He likely in that time still did all his normal kingly duties and even handled worship like normal. What we see though is that God was not pleased with David’s sinful heart, and any sacrifices David was making to the Lord were nullified by his unconfessed sin. This psalm is David’s eventual confession, pleading to the Lord for His mercy and to create in him a clean heart that has all his sin washed away. David knew that then, and only then, would God delight in sacrifices and offerings again. Only after David confessed his sin and gave the Lord his heart would the Lord find pleasure in David’s offerings. Let us see the truth in such a message. Our unconfessed and unstopped sin interferes with our ability to worship and please the Lord. We may come to church every Sunday and give loads of money in the offering, but if our heart is still holding onto sin then such actions are tainted by the stain of our sin and not pleasing to the Lord. Through Christ we have been given a new, clean heart, but our sin can ruin the worship we ought to be giving the Lord. Confess the sin, end the sin, and then is when we will see our offering to the Lord find its value to Him again. For what God wants more than your offerings is you faithfully following Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3006
- For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalms51:16-17 – As it was with yesterday, scripture today is showing us once again the type of sacrifice God is seeking from us. God wants our brokenness. God isn’t asking us to have it all together before we come to Him. God isn’t requiring us to be perfect to come to Him. What He desires is a heart and spirit that understands its brokenness due to sin. One that understands its only chance of true healing is going to come from God. Let’s make sure that we are offering to God the sort of offering that pleases Him rather than the ones that please us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 987
- Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Psalm 51:1-2 – During last night’s message that was given at our young adult ministry the speaker spoke on the mistake David made with Bathsheba. Today, I read Psalm 51, where the header for this chapter tells me this is David speaking after confronted about his mistake with Bathsheba. We see him broken, coming before God realizing the deep mistake he made. He’s pleading for mercy, forgiveness, and wholeness again. What we see then in David’s story is still a navigating through the repercussions of his choices, but God’s hand never left him. Know satan is going to seek to convince you that when you’ve messed up that God’s hand is going to be removed from your life. That you’ll lose everything in your life that God gives and His love will no longer be shown to you. Hear this please, that isn’t true. When we fall, God asks us to bring to Him the pieces and a heart that longs for togetherness with Him again. Forgiveness is available to all for all things. Nothing you’ve done is too big for God to forgive. Nothing is too bad that would make God not want you. Know any voice telling you a different message than that isn’t one from Jesus. Have you fallen? Is the mistake of your sin just weighing so heavy on you today? Do you feel bringing this to God would just ruin what you have with Him? Use then our passage in scripture today to see that we can bring to God the worst mistake of our lives. He’ll take it, forgive it, and restore us to Himself. Our God isn’t a God who casts away sinners, He’s the type to leave the ninety-nine to save the one that is lost. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2011
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