The "man after God's own heart"

• It was God himself who said that King David was “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22).  Yet the Old Testament records David’s sexual encounter with Bathsheba the wife of one of his army officers. When she became pregnant, David called her husband  back from the battlefield to cover his sin, but  Uriah refused to sleep with his wife and returned to war. So David ordered the troops to be withdrawn leaving Uriah defenseless. Psalm 51 is the poignant account of David’s great remorse, his plea for forgiveness and his deep desire for God to create in him a clean heart.

                   
      
      


 
 

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 ​    Have mercy on me, Oh my God         
     I plead your your unfailing love;
     Please wash me clean of iniquity                  
     Forgiveness I need from above.

     You are the One against whom I’ve sinned    
      I’ve done evil in your sight;
      Sinful I’ve been from my mother’s womb     
      Doing wrong instead of right.

      Cleanse me with hyssop, I long to be clean   
       Wash me till I’m whiter than snow;
       Oh hide you’re face from all my sins                  
       Forgiveness I long to know.

       Create in me a heart that is pure                
       Don’t take your spirit away;                       
       Restore to me the joy of salvation       
       Make me willing to obey.

       My deepest desire is to teach transgressors  
       Of all your merciful ways;
       So open my mouth to declare your goodness          
       And my lips to sing your praise.            
 
      You take no delight in sacrifice,                   
      Apart from a contrite heart;                               
      My offering to you is a broken spirit            
      The desire from sin to depart.