Psalm 51:1-10
"...to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."
(EPHESIANS 5:26-27)
If you were to meet with an important person, you'd want to look your best, with your clothes cleaned and pressed. Paul expresses a similar idea in today's verses when he refers to the church as being presented to the Lord "without stain or wrinkle," that is, washed and ironed. This washing is accomplished through the Word of God.
Do you struggle with retaining what you read in the Bible? Perhaps you're like the little boy whose father handed him a dirty wicker basket and instructed him to go to the river and bring back water in the basket. The boy obeyed, but all the water drained out. He was sent a second time-with the same results. By the third time the boy grew frustrated. But his father inspected the basket and was satisfied. He'd simply wanted the basket cleansed, and the water running though it had accomplished that.
Study God's Word. Even when you do not retain it all, a cleansing comes over your life and you will find yourself declared radiant - washed and ironed - before God because of Jesus.
INSIGHT
"LET THE CLEANSING BLOOD OF JESUS WASH OVER ME, LORD, SO THAT EVEN IN MY FAILURES I AM SPOTLESS AND HOLY BEFORE YOU."
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
2 Kings 13-14
Proverbs 17
2 Peter 1-3
Psalm 51:1-10
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 51[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
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 you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret 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.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
LOVE YOUR WIFE
with Justin Buzzard
Men are typically pretty good at pursuing the woman they love before marriage. After the wedding day there is a tendency to let the romance die. Husbands must learn to date their wives again!
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