Journey to Jerusalem Day 22

Wednesday, March 10 Psalm 19:12-14

12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

In the beginning of Psalm 19, David covers how God’s perfection is seen in nature and in the law. He describes God’s law as perfect, reviving, sure, right, pure, enlightening, true, desirable, and sweet.

But at the end of Psalm 19, David turns from contemplating the perfection of God and His law, to realizing his own inadequacies in comparison. The more we become aware of the holiness of God, the more we become aware that we will never measure up.

We are so sinful, that we cannot even accurately perceive our own errors. We make excuses for our actions; we compare our sins with other sinners; but we hardly ever measure ourselves against the holiness of God.

But the good news of the gospel is even brighter when we realize how dark our situation was without God!

Let us have an honest view of our sins, but not dwell in it. Let us follow the example of David; when we know our unworthiness before God, ask Him to sanctify us both in our actions and in our deceptive hearts.

And know that when we do not measure up to the perfection of God’s holiness, the Lord is our rock and redeemer. Christ was not only sinless, but He also perfectly fulfilled all the requirements of God’s law.

He was the perfect sacrifice, acceptable in God’s sight, redeeming a people for Himself. Remember that when we stand before a holy God, He sees Christ’s righteousness!

Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
--Prayer 79. For Mercy, BCP 2019, p. 669