This is the second day of Lent.

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. 
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”  
 
Today’s reading is from the Psalm 51.

 
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
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.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.


I know my transgressions, says King David. David was a paradox in many ways. He was called a man after God’s own heart, and he was a murderer and an adulterer. He was a shepherd and a King. He was a poet and a soldier. He demonstrated great bravery, and tremendous cowardice. These 40 days of Lent give us time to consider our own personal paradoxes: To thank God for his many blessings, and also to look at our own sinfulness, and our need for God’s mercy.

When you are ill, receiving a right diagnosis is a gift.  It means that you can receive the proper treatment. In this psalm, David says that the diagnosis of his sin is a gift. He seems aware of his great need for mercy, and he’s doesn’t cover it up, deny it, or try to pretend. Instead, he calls out to God for a pure heart, for a steadfast spirit, and for restoration. As you listen to this psalm again, take a moment to consider your own diagnosis of sin, and confess a specific sin to the Lord.

Many Christians fast during this season, as a demonstration of repentance, and as a way of causing our attention to be drawn toward God instead of toward created things. As we end, thank God for His mercy, and if you have not yet done so, consider committing to a practice of fasting from one thing during Lent.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music: Merciful - Samuel Lane - (YouTube)