Ash Wednesday
Psalm 51:
(1) Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. (2) Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. (3) For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. (4) Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. (5) For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. (6) But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.
(7) Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (8) Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. (9) Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. (10) Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. (11) Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
(12) Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. (13) Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. (14) Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. (15) Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
(16) You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. (17) The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. (18) Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (19) Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.
In this Psalm David, at an incredibly low point in his life, calls out to God for mercy and grace. David doesn’t start with stating his credentials or arguing about how good of a person he is. David comes with humility and petition. He comes asking for the forgiveness of sins. He recognizes the power and authority of God to make him new through purification from sin. As we start the Easter season, it is good to ask if we are coming before God as David does here. He admits his weakness and asks for a clean heart to be made new and to have the Holy Spirit remain with him. In my humanity I want to have the spirit David shows in this Psalm, but instead, I tend to try and make arguments about why my actions have shown I’m not this broken. What happens then is I never really accept God’s forgiveness, and the joy David calls out in verse 12 escapes me and true obedience is fleeting. Many churches use the palm branches from Palm Sunday the previous year to make the ashes used in an Ash Wednesday service. These are meant to reminds us of our finite time and to encourage a surrender to God’s grace, truth, and will. Whether you are celebrating the Lenten season or not, I would like to encourage us all to do these three things daily:
Come before God in humble prayer, own your humanity and pray for the wisdom, strength, and spirit to follow God faithfully.
As Easter approaches, the weather warms, and spring begins, commit to spiritual practices which fill you and help you to know the joy of God’s presence in your life.
Let your words and actions show a commitment to being made new in Christ, and may the fruits of the Spirit radiate around you.
Prayer: God, we are created in your image and fail so often in our daily lives to reflect the grace and love you have for us to others. May we humbly confess our brokenness and turn our eyes towards your path, living faithfully for you. May your Holy Spirit fill us and our hearts burst with your joy.
Written by: Deke Rider