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Psalm 51:1 "Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions."

 

David wrote this psalm after the prophet Nathan pointed out his sin in taking Bathsheba (not to mention arranging to have her husband killed afterwards). So this was a time when David really did need God's mercy. When we find ourselves in this same position, so convicted by our sin, this is what we have to do - appeal to God's steadfast love and abundant mercy. We don't have any valid excuse for our sin (when we try to find one, we are just avoiding contrition), so there really is no reason we should expect to be forgiven by the all-powerful God whom we have offended. And yet He has shown us again and again how much He loves us (actually, He loves us more than He can show us while we're here, it would be too much for us!), and He tells us to always come back to Him, appealing to His mercy, when we have gone astray. 

 

David did not have the wonderful gift of the Sacrament of Confession, but he has the right attitude, the one we should have when we are seeking God's mercy in that Sacrament (and how lucky are we that we can go to confession and know we have been forgiven?!). But David has the right attitude, the one we should all have. He acknowledges his sin: "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me" (Psalm 51:3); he recognizes that by sinning he has offended God: "Against thee, thee only, I have sinned" (Psalm 51:4); and he asks God to cleanse him and give him the wisdom not to fall into sin again: "teach me wisdom in my secret heart" (Psalm 51:6).

 

If we approach God the same way in the Sacrament of Confession, there is nothing He will not forgive us. And when we are forgiven, our sins will be blotted out, we will be washed clean, whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7), and will be given grace and wisdom to help us avoid sin in the future.