Psalm 51:1-10 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51 is a psalm of repentance from David. The prophet Nathan revealed to the king his sin after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. King David repented from his whole heart and, as a result, he also received forgiveness from God.

The word repentance comprises of and means that a person confesses to God that he has sinned, and then he changes his mind and wants to now lay down this sin and intends, with the help of God, to stop committing this sin and no longer to live in this sin. Repentance is more than just a confession, it means to change the direction in life and to stop committing the sin which you have confessed to God. Jesus forgave a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. When she departed from His presence, Jesus said to her in John 8:11: "Go, and sin no more." Her repentance required more than just receiving forgiveness, it meant a radical change in her life.

Is there an area in your life where you need forgiveness? Don't forget, it is "confession" and "change". Have enough remorse about your sins so that you stop sinning. jk

Additional verses to study: 2. Chronicles 6:36-39; Nehemiah 1:4-9; Isaiah 55:7; Ezekiel 18;30-31; Matthew 3:2+8; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 11:18; 17:30