Ash Wednesday, February 22
| Psalm 51:1-17 |
| 1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.4Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.5Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.6You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.11Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.14Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.16For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.17The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. |
| Reflecting on the text for this devotion gave me a chance to give thanks for the people that nurtured my faith when I was growing up and the experiences I had going to Lutheran Bible camp. One of the songs we sang over and over both in Confirmation worship at Transfiguration Lutheran Church in Bloomington and at Luther Dell Bible camp in Remer, MN was “Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God”, which takes its lyrics word for word from this Psalm. It’s a beautiful, simple song and I am fortunate to have learned it at an early age and to have carried it with me into adulthood as the message is relevant throughout the lifespan. What we do as the church truly matters- I am glad I was taught that song many years ago! The line that resonated with me the most in my reflection on this text in this season is verse 12: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.” So often I can focus on a goal or a project for a short time with dedication and willingness, but I lose motivation or energy for it after awhile. It’s easy to drift back into auto pilot mode, which for me often just becomes checking off the to do lists and making sure the household keeps running. To “sustain” means something else- here I think it means endurance and keeping on with something, receiving sustenance and nourishment to keep doing it. My spirit certainly needs God’s sustenance to continue being willing to receive God’s presence and direction in my life. I can’t sustain my willingness on my own, but I can gratefully ask for and receive God’s help, taking this Psalm’s prayer as my own. Prayer: Dear God, You have given us this beautiful gift of Your Word, which speaks to us across our lifespan and helps us know You and ourselves more clearly. Sustain in us willing spirits to keep growing in faith and love this Lenten season. Amen. —Claire Cadman |