Psalm 51 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;  according to your great compassion,  blot out  my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  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.  Surely I was sinful at birth,  sinful from the time my mother conceived me.  Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom o in that secret place.  Cleanse  me with hyssop,  and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness;  let the bones  you have crushed rejoice.   Hide your face from my sins  and blot out w all my iniquity.

 Create in me a pure heart,  O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me  from your presence a or take your Holy Spirit  from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation c and grant me a willing spirit, d to sustain me.  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, f so that sinners  will turn back to you.  Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed,  O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.  Open my lips, Lord, m and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  My sacrifice,  O God, is a a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart p you, God, will not despise.  May it please you to prosper Zion,  to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, s in burnt offerings t offered whole; 

then bulls  will be offered on your altar. 

51:1-19  This psalm expresses one of the clearest examples of repentance in all of Scripture. Countless broken sinners have found in these words an exquisite expression of their deeply felt need for God’s mercy and forgiveness. David’s confession has helped people examine excuses, half-hearted repentance, and lack of sorrow over sin that can keep them from experiencing pardon. David’s words also demonstrate the place of hope within confession. Use this psalm as a starting point when dealing with a sense of distance or with guilt that is affecting your relationship with God. It will help you identify and rectify sin in your life through confession and repentance.

51:1-7  David was truly sorry for his adultery with Bathsheba and for murdering her husband to cover it up. He knew that his actions had hurt many people. But because David repented of those sins, God mercifully forgave him. No sin is too great to be forgiven! Do you feel that you could never come close to God because you have done something terrible? God can and will forgive you of any sin. While God forgives us, however, he does not always erase the natural consequences of our sin. David’s life and family were never the same as a result of what he had done (see 2 Samuel 12:1-23 ).

51:4  Although David had sinned with Bathsheba, David said that he had sinned against God. When someone steals, murders, or slanders, it is against someone else—a victim. According to the world’s standards, extramarital sex between two consenting adults is acceptable if nobody gets hurt. But people do get hurt—in David’s case, a man was murdered and a baby died. All sin hurts us and others, but ultimately it offends God because sin in any form is rebellion against God’s way of living. When you are tempted to do wrong, remember that you will be sinning against God. That may help you avoid the danger.

51:10  Because we are born as sinners ( 51:5 ), our natural inclination is to please ourselves rather than God. David followed that inclination when he took another man’s wife. We also follow it when we sin in any way. Like David, we must ask God to cleanse us from within ( 51:7 ), clearing our hearts and spirits for new thoughts and desires. Right conduct can come only from a clean heart and spirit. Ask God to create a pure heart and spirit in you.

51:12  Do you ever feel stagnant in your faith, as though you are just going through the motions? Has sin ever driven a wedge between you and God, making him seem distant? David felt this way. He had sinned with Bathsheba and had just been confronted by Nathan the prophet. In his prayer he cried, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” God wants us to be close to him and to experience his full and complete life. But sin that remains unconfessed makes such intimacy impossible. Confess your sin to God. You may still have to face some earthly consequences, as David did, but God will give back the joy of your relationship with him.

51:13  When God forgives our sin and restores our relationship with him, we want to reach out to others who need this forgiveness and reconciliation. The more you have felt God’s forgiveness, the more you will desire to tell others about it.

51:17  God wants a broken spirit and contrite heart. You can never please God by outward actions—no matter how good—if your inward heart attitude is not right. Are you sorry for your sin? Do you genuinely intend to stop? God is pleased by this kind of humble repentance.  

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Psalm 31 

Psalm 31  In times of stress, depending upon God requires complete commitment. 

In you, LORD , I have taken refuge;  let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.   Turn your ear to me,  come quickly to my rescue;  be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.  Since you are my rock and my fortress,  for the sake of your name  lead and guide me.  Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit;  deliver me, LORD, my faithful God. I hate those who cling to worthless idols; l as for me, I trust in the LORD  I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.  You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.  Be merciful to me, LORD,  for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.  My life is consumed by anguish  and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.  Because of all my enemies,  I am the utter contempt  of my neighbors  and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me.  I am forgotten as though I were dead;  I have become like broken pottery.  For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life. 

But I trust  in you, LORD ; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine  on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.  Let me not be put to shame,  LORD , for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent m in the realm of the dead.  Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide  them from all human intrigues;  you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.  Praise be to the LORD, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.  In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.  Love the LORD , all his faithful people!  The LORD preserves those who are true to him,  but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

 David called on the Lord to deliver him. He wanted God to stop those who were unjustly causing trouble. Therefore, David made his request based upon what he knew of God’s name, or character. Because God is righteous and loving, he desires to deliver his people.

31:1-6  We say we have faith in God, but do we really trust him? David’s words, “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” convey his complete trust in God. Jesus used this phrase as he was dying on the cross—showing his absolute dependence on God the Father ( Luke 23:46 ). Stephen repeated these words as he was being stoned to death ( Acts 7:59 ), confident that in death he was simply passing from God’s earthly care to God’s eternal care. We should commit our possessions, our families, and our vocations to God. But first and foremost, we should commit ourselves completely to him.

31:6  Why did David suddenly bring up the subject of idol worship? He wanted to contrast his total devotion to God with the diluted worship offered by many Israelites. Pagan religious rituals were never completely banished from Israel and Judah, despite the efforts of David and a few other kings. Obviously a person who clung to idols could not commit his spirit into God’s hands. When we put today’s idols (wealth, material possessions, success) first in our lives, we cannot expect God’s Spirit to guide us. God is our highest authority and requires our first allegiance.

31:8  In David’s day, armies needed large areas of land for their military maneuvers. David praised God for the “spacious place”—the open spaces that gave him the freedom to move within God’s boundaries. If you feel restrained by God’s moral boundaries, remember that God has given you much freedom, far more than you need to move within those boundaries. Use the opportunities he gives you to make proper decisions. Use them wisely and they will lead to victory.

31:9-13  In describing his feelings, David wrote of the helplessness and hopelessness everyone feels when hated or rejected. But adversity is easier to accept when we recognize our true relationship with the sovereign God ( 31:14-18 ). Although our enemies may seem to have the upper hand, they are ultimately the helpless and hopeless ones. Those who know God will be victorious in the end ( 31:23 ). We can have courage today because God will preserve us.

31:14-15  In saying, “My times are in your hands,” David was expressing his belief that all of life’s circumstances are under God’s control. Knowing that God loves and cares for us enables us to keep steady in our faith regardless of our circumstances. It keeps us from sinning foolishly by taking matters into our own hands or resenting God’s timetable.

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Psalm 91 Theme: God’s pro

Psalm 91 Theme: God’s protection in the midst of danger. God doesn’t promise a world free from danger, but he does promise his help whenever we face danger.

 Whoever dwells in the shelter a of the Most High will rest in the shadow b of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD , “He is my refuge c and my fortress,  my God, in whom I trust.”  Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare e and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;  his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,   nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.   You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm k will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels  concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.  “Because he a loves me,” says the L ORD , “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. ” 

91:1-6  God is a shelter, a refuge when we are afraid. The writer’s faith in the Almighty God as Protector would carry him through all the dangers and fears of life. This should be a picture of our trust—trading all our fears for faith in him, no matter how intense our fears. To do this we must “dwell” and “rest” with him ( 91:1 ). By entrusting ourselves to his protection and pledging our daily devotion to him, we will be kept safe.

91:11  One of the functions of angels is to watch over believers ( Hebrews 1:14 ). There are examples of guardian angels in Scripture ( 1 Kings 19:5 ; Daniel 6:22 ; Matthew 18:10 ; Luke 16:22 ; Acts 12:7 ), although there is no indication that one angel is assigned to each believer. Angels can also be God’s messengers ( Matthew 2:13 ; Acts 27:23-24 ). Angels are not visible, except on special occasions ( Numbers 22:31 ; Luke 2:9 ). Verses 11 and 12 were quoted by Satan when he tempted Jesus ( Matthew 4:6 ; Luke 4:10-11 ). It is comforting to know that God watches over us even in times of great stress and fear. 

Tyndale. Life Application Study Bible NIV

James 4:8

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

4:7-10 

How can you come near to God? James gives five ways: (1) Submit . . . to God (4:7). Yield to his authority and will, commit your life to him and his control, and be willing to follow him. (2) Resist the devil (4:7). Don’t allow Satan to entice and tempt you. (3) Wash your hands . . . and purify your hearts (that is, lead a pure life) (4:8). Be cleansed from sin, replacing your desire to sin with your desire to experience God’s purity. (4) Grieve, mourn and wail in sincere sorrow for your sins (4:9). Don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what you have done. (5) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).

Tyndale House Publishers. Life Application Study Bible, NIV 

Mark 12:29-31

“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

12:29–31 God’s laws are not burdensome. They can be reduced to two simple principles: love God and love others. These commands are from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). When you love God completely and care for others as you care for yourself, then you have fulfilled the intent of the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament laws. According to Jesus, these two commandments summarize all God’s laws. Let them rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions. When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others.

Tyndale House Publishers. Life Application Study Bible, NIV