Often when we sin, we try to cover it up like an ugly stain on a clean shirt. We try to disguise our miss deeds and block them from our memory. But the truth is, no matter what we do, we know our sin is there. We see this in Psalm 51, written after David committed adultery with Bathsheba and conceived a child with her. David tried to cover up his sinful behavior by enticing her husband, Uriah, to sleep with her. When that failed, David sent Uriah to the front lines of battle, where he was killed. David would marry Bethsheba, but the stain of his sin remained. When the prophet Nathan confronted him, David penned Psalm 51 as a prayer asking God for forgiveness. And because David acknowledged his sin and repented of it, God mercifully forgave him, so that David was washed clean of his sin. The good news is that God offers us the same forgiveness. No sin is so great that we cannot bring it before God. We don’t have to cover up our blemishes; we can receive God‘s forgiveness and cleansing. Then we can rejoice, as David did, when God restores to us a “clean heart“ and “the joy of our salvation.“
