Psalm 51

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness

Lord, I have fallen so short of Your way. Where can I hide from You? Where should I run to besides You? Nothing in this world will satisfy my longing soul.

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

To whom am I going to cry out to besides You? For who do I have in heaven but You? I can only rest on the promise of Your mercy to cover over the indescribable filthiness of my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight. That You may be found just when you speak, and blameless when You judge.

Oh my hands have betrayed me, my ears have lied to me, my mouth has forgotten thee. My heart is bitter and hardened towards thee, Oh God, break me and remake me! How can I live if my heart condemns me? How can I live if I must hide my heart from You?

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire

truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom.

What a wretched man that I am! I have nothing to pour out before you as the very inner recess of my being is unclean defiling anything I would offer. Oh my Lord, you look at the heart, yet I have only the heart you would give me. What can I rely on but your mercy? I have rebelled against thee even from the womb of my mother. My heart has been brought down under labor for my rebellion.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Only by the blood. Only at the cross. Wash me from this filth. Clean me in my sorrow. The purety of even the best deed done out of me is nothing compared to the whiteness of your goodness. Your water and blood flows continually. It covers and satisfies me everday. Pour it out on me for the thousandth time so that this heart can once again feel Your presence. I long to return to Your feet.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

My soul longs for You. Renew my mind, my eyes, my ears, my heart so that I can see you and feel you and know you again. These eyes cannot see, these ears will not hear, this heart cannot feel, I need Your grace to know You. How weak and frail I am in my sin! Your Spirit and Your Word alone can free me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.

The joy of the Lord is my only strength. The assurance of my salvation comes in the spreading of Your love abroad into my heart. Oh, I know You love me more than I can know, but oh God, how I forget and can not see it now! Turn me so I can turn others, it will be my hearts desire to see other come to my God who is so merciful and loving.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

To sing again, but my heart is stopped and my toungue silent in my shame. Only your forgiveness can free me. In your sight, before your holy eyes, my sweet savior, have I sinned. Can I sing again the beauty of your salvation, oh Jesus? By your blood, by your doing, I can.

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.

How sweet these words are to me! I have nothing to give you. I have nothing to pay you. Never is my heart able to love you as you deserve to be loved. What can I offer you but this weak heart? Here it is. See it, examine it, open it and search it. What can I hide from you? What shall I say in your presence? You have made me and formed. I am weak and a worm, yet you made me to love. You have formed me, I have brought nothing of worth to you. Yet you desire this heart. You desire this throne of mine that is nothing but dust and ashes. I offer it to you, it is nothing to me as I am nothing without thee.

Oh my Jesus, how I need your sweet words to guide me. I have nothing but sin and death without you. Sing your song of grace to my soul again. Sweetly and softly renew me in your ways. The breaking of the dawn can not due justice to the music you sing to my heart. This heart hears it and comes, you have loved me so now I come and lay it down. Why oh Lord do you love me so? What have I done for you? You love me even though I have rebelled, you relish my heart even though it is dirty. You hear my voice even though it is selfish. You long for my turning even though I yearn towards disobedience. I deserve you not, but you have served me with your life. I have paid nothing because you have paid it all. My mouth is stopped and I come, give me a song to sing and I will sing it for all eternity. Blessed is the name of my Redeemer!