Confession of Sin

We read in 2 Samuel 11 a story about King David, who was regarded as a man after God’s own heart. One day David lusted after a woman named Bathsheba. From his roof he saw her bathing, and so he inquired about her. He found out who she was, and that she was married to Uriah, one of his soldiers, who had gone to battle with his other soldiers. So, he sent for Bathsheba, and he slept with her, and then she became pregnant.

David, in order to cover up his sin with Bathsheba, called Uriah, her husband, home from battle, but Uriah, a man of integrity, refused to go home to his wife and to sleep with her as long as his fellow soldiers were out on the battle field sleeping in tents. So, David arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle. Then, after Uriah’s wife had grieved his death, David sent for her, and he married her, and she bore him a son.

Then the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David to confront him with his sin. Nathan, directed by the Lord, used a parable to bring David to the conscious realization of the gravity of his sin. When David declared that such a man as was mentioned in the parable should die, then Nathan told him that he, David, was the man in the parable. Then, Nathan spoke God’s words against David, and then David repented of his sin. God told him he would live, but that his son would die, and he did.

But, God blessed David and Bathsheba with another son, Solomon, and through David’s family line, from his union with Bathsheba, and through Solomon’s descendants, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior was born. God forgave David of his sin, but he did suffer many natural consequences for his sin, and yet God continued to bless him. God’s plan all along was that the Savior of the world would be born from David’s family line, which is why Jesus is sometimes referred to as the Son of David.

Well, David, after he was confronted with his sin, and he confessed his sin to God and to Nathan, wrote a psalm of confession of his sin. This poem is based off that psalm. And, it is a message of hope to us, because no matter what we have done, no matter how horrible it was, it is not beyond God’s ability to forgive, and to restore, and even to bless our lives, and for God to still use us for his purposes and for his glory.

Confession of Sin

An Original Work / March 27, 2018

Based off Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O my God.

According to Your gracious love.

Blot out my sins.

Cleanse me within.

Bring comfort to me from above.

I come before You with my sin.

Such evil against You I’ve done.

Sinful at birth;

Covered with filth.

Yet, faithfulness still You did want.

Of joy’s gladness, let me now hear.

From me, all my sadness, expend.

Pure heart, let be,

Now within me.

Renew a firm spirit within.

Then I will teach sinners Your ways,

Now turning their hearts back to You.

My tongue will sing

Of righteousness.

Lord, from my lips, now praise is due.

I sacrifice my life to You,

So holy and pleasing to God.

A contrite heart

You’ll not despise.

To my Savior, I give my heart.