Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. – Psalm 51:12
Psalm 51 illustrates the process of David’s confession and God’s forgiveness once David was confronted with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. As Charles Spurgeon wrote, the prophet Nathan aroused David’s “dormant conscience and made him see the greatness of his guilt.” When David’s “spiritual nature was awakened, he poured out his song to the accompaniment of sighs and tears.”
Because David’s sin was public knowledge, this psalm was used in the public service. The passage also serves well in private meditation, for each believer has frailties and sins for which confession is necessary. The penitent believer can know that God will bring a joyful restoration of peace through His forgiveness to one who repents. It is faith in God’s Word and confidence in the finished sacrifice of Christ on the cross that gives the believer joy and peace.
David pleaded for cleansing, a clean heart, a willing spirit, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Known for his music, David’s plea included this: “Let me hear joy and gladness” (Psalm 51:2, 8, 10-12). Spurgeon again provides insight into this last phrase, writing that “the joy of pardon has a voice louder than the voice of sin. God’s voice speaking peace is the sweetest music an ear can hear.”
You learn to hear God’s voice by seeking Him through His word and through prayer. The Scriptures offer hope through salvation in Christ’s atoning death, power through the Holy Spirit, and joy in His promises, both now and in eternity.
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