Thanksgiving Scripture - Nov 12

Annual Bible Reading Plan:

EZK.36
JHN.11

2024 Thanksgiving Month Day 12:
Give Thanks for the Cleansing and Forgiveness of Sin (Psalm 51:1-9)
(Memorize verses 1-2, 7-9)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
4 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.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.

Reflection:
This is the first half of one of the most famous penitential psalms among the seven penitential psalms. This song often helps us, in our weakness, sin, and guilt, to turn to God with a sorrowful and repentant heart, receiving timely forgiveness and release from Him. David's experience of forgiveness and cleansing, resulting from his genuine and heartfelt repentance, shows us that when we have fallen into weakness and sin, we must not only come before God with a broken heart of repentance but also prepare ourselves with a grateful heart to experience His grace of forgiveness and the power to cleanse our sins. Thank the Lord, what God is like our God, with such abundant mercy and grace to forgive, willing to blot out and cleanse us from all our sins, and to revive our bones, which have been crushed by condemnation! Because of the redemption of the Messiah, we are cleansed from sin and no longer need to use hyssop dipped in the blood of sin offerings, but by faith, we receive the cleansing of God’s Lamb—Jesus Christ’s blood, which is eternally effective. Moreover, the blessed believers today have received that “clean heart” that David sought, along with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us (Psalm 51:10-11), never to depart. For this reason, we should always remember and thank the Lord for His grace of forgiveness and the power of His precious blood. Because of His precious blood, we can boldly enter the Most Holy Place at any time (Hebrews 10:19) and, through “the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony,” overcome all attacks and accusations from the enemy (Revelation 12:11).