Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:7, 10-13, 17, NASB).
The text is from Psalm 51. King David wrote this after his adultery with Bathsheba; after he had her husband, Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s mighty men, murdered by having him placed in a vulnerable place during battle; and after the prophet Nathan confronted David and convicted him of his sins. David was a broken man, convinced of his guilt before God, and was seeking His forgiveness.
I haven’t seen my Bible for some time. With my ALS, at some point I could no longer pick it up, then I wasn’t able to turn the pages. These days I do my Bible study online using my eye-gaze tablet. But if you were to look in my Bible at Psalm 51, you’d see what I wrote in the margin: “What to do when I blow it!” Trust me, I’ve blown it a lot, and I’ve referred to David’s advice.
To ask God’s forgiveness requires us first to understand we’ve sinned. Next, sometimes we must be broken of our stubborn pride. David says that God recognizes a broken and contrite heart. Ask for forgiveness and He supplies it!
In ancient Israel, the Law of Moses required animal sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. This Advent season we prepare our hearts as we remember God’s Gift to us on that first Christmas. God sent His Son Jesus to die as a perfect sacrifice, once and for all time. If we ask God for forgiveness, and ask Jesus to be Savior, then we’re covered by His blood. Washed clean. Whiter than snow. Have you received God’s Christmas present? If not, this Christmas season would be a perfect time.
Here’s my favorite version of “White Christmas.” At the end you’ll hear a line from Psalm 51:
Worship: “White Christmas/Whiter than Snow,” sung by Twila Paris
My excellent nurse, Meghan, fashioned my beard. One of my wonderful daughters, Laura, said I look like a gnome. Sue said I was a good sport for wearing this getup. As if I can prevent anyone from dressing me up!