Ryan's Ramblings

“𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓: 𝑨 𝒑𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅, 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂.”

The above superscription is found at the outset of Psalm 51. It doesn’t even merit a verse number, but it sure packs a punch. It’s the “back story” for David’s prayer recorded in the psalm. Anyone who has read the whole story in 2 Samuel 12 knows that this pithy introduction to Psalm 51 is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to David’s offenses—teeming with lust, adultery, deception, manipulation and murder.

However, as I point the finger at David, I can’t help but notice three more fingers pointing back at me. I don’t know about you, but an honest superscription of my life, although different from David’s, would be just as tarnished. The Apostle Paul sums it up well, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

Sin may have the first word in this psalm of David, but sin didn’t have the last word in David’s story—and sin doesn’t have the final word in my life either.
Jesus does.
He paid the price for my sins upon the cross and God doesn’t want a blood sacrifice from me. But He does want something—my heart.

Take a look at David’s words near the end of Psalm 51:

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕.
𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒂 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝑶 𝑮𝒐𝒅. (vs. 17, NLT)

(Wow, now that merits a verse number!!)

Give God your heart. Let Jesus be the first and last word in your life.