faithtricia's steps of faith

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Psalm 51

Before going for choir ydae, I was feeling really tired as I didn't sleep well the night before. Felt really lethargic. Thus, before reaching S11, I decided to turn to God for refreshment. Indeed, God brought me to Psalm 51. It read like this:

1 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 that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts [a] ;
you teach [b] me wisdom in the inmost 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,
and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
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 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.


This Psalm came at the very right time. God do not delight in our services or words; God delights in a broken spirit and a contrite heart. Being 'broken' before the Lord, it meant that I have to come before Him and recognise that I cannot do it all by my own self or strength. Being 'contrite' in my heart meant that I have got to be more repentant and regretful of the sins that I have committed for the day, the week, the months, the years or even my whole and entire life.

Well, God did not stop there. When I started looking through the songs for choir pract, (though I received the songs through email earlier.. i didn't have time to really digest them at all...) I saw the song that God wanted to remind me again, parallel to Psalm 51:

A Broken Spirit
Words and Music by Martin Nystrom and Don Harris © 1993 Integrity's Hosanna! Music

A broken spirit and a contrite heart
You will not despise
You will not despise
You desire truth in the inward parts
A broken spirit and a contrite heart

Lord my heart, is prone to wander
Prone to leave this God I love
Here’s my heart
Lord take it and seal it
Seal it for your courts above

Lord, thank you for your ever faithful reminders. I will remember them by heart. :)

Labels: b.i.b.l.e.

by Tricia at 11:00 AM |