Thanksgiving Scripture - Nov 11

Thanksgiving Month Introduction...

Psalm 51:1-19
（Memorization Scripture 10-12,17-18）
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
4 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.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

【Reflection】This is the most famous of the seven penitential psalms, often helping us turn to God with a heart of sorrow and repentance in times of weakness, sin, and conviction of conscience, following David's example. The psalmist believes that as long as we are willing to genuinely confess and repent before God, He will "not look on my sins, but blot out all my iniquities" (verse 9). "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." (2 Corinthians 7:10). At this moment, a person who has committed a grave sin (verse 4) not only has a heart full of remorse but also gratitude. What other god is like our God, so abundant in mercy and forgiveness, willing to wipe away and cleanse all our sins, and to make our once-crushed bones rise up with joy! (verses 7-8)
What's even more incredible is that God will also give us a new heart and a new spirit to enable us to follow His will. David fervently implores, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me." (verses 10-11). Thanks be to the Lord, by the redemption of the Messiah, saved believers today have received this "pure heart," and the Holy Spirit also indwells in us, never to leave. After offering a heart of sorrow and repentance as a sacrifice, the psalmist confidently and earnestly prays for a willing and obedient spirit. He wants to delight in God's salvation again and not let sin separate him from God (verse 12). A truly repentant person is one who knows grace and proves their repentance through practical change (verses 13-17).
Finally, the psalmist does not forget to pray for blessings upon Zion and Jerusalem, asking God to build the walls of Jerusalem and protect God's children from falling into the snares of their enemies and offending God themselves. What gratitude there is in such a transformed life.

【感恩月簡介】...

詩篇 51：1-19
(背誦經文:10-12,17-18)
1 神啊，求祢按祢的慈愛憐恤我，按祢豐盛的慈悲塗抹我的過犯！
2 求祢將我的罪孽洗除淨盡，並潔除我的罪！
3 因為我知道我的過犯，我的罪常在我面前。
4 我向祢犯罪，唯獨得罪了祢，在祢眼前行了這惡，
以致祢責備我的時候顯為公義，判斷我的時候顯為清正。
5 我是在罪孽裡生的，在我母親懷胎的時候就有了罪。
6 祢所喜愛的是內裡誠實，祢在我隱密處必使我得智慧。
7 求祢用牛膝草潔淨我，我就乾淨；求祢洗滌我，我就比雪更白。
8 求祢使我得聽歡喜快樂的聲音，使祢所壓傷的骨頭可以踴躍。
9 求祢掩面不看我的罪，塗抹我一切的罪孽。
10 神啊，求祢為我造清潔的心，使我裡面重新有正直的靈。
11 不要丟棄我，使我離開祢的面，不要從我收回祢的聖靈。
12 求祢使我仍得救恩之樂，賜我樂意的靈扶持我。
13 我就把祢的道指教有過犯的人，罪人必歸順祢。
14 神啊，祢是拯救我的 神；求祢救我脫離流人血的罪！我的舌頭就高聲歌唱祢的公義。
15 主啊，求祢使我嘴唇張開，我的口便傳揚讚美祢的話！
16 祢本不喜愛祭物，若喜愛，我就獻上；燔祭，祢也不喜悅。
17 神所要的祭就是憂傷的靈；神啊，憂傷痛悔的心，祢必不輕看。
18 求祢隨祢的美意善待錫安，建造耶路撒冷的城牆。
19 那時，祢必喜愛公義的祭和燔祭並全牲的燔祭；那時，人必將公牛獻在祢壇上。

【心得分享】這是七篇懺悔詩裡最著名的一篇，常常幫助我們在軟弱、犯罪及良心受控告時效法大衛以憂傷痛悔的心迴轉向 神，從祂得及時的赦免和釋放。詩人相信只要願意向 神真心認罪悔改，祂就「掩面不看我的罪，塗抹我一切的罪孽。」（9節）「依 神的意思憂愁，就生出沒有後悔的懊悔來，以致得救。」 （林後7:10）一個犯下重罪的人（4節），在這個時刻，不僅是滿心的懊悔，也一定是充滿了感恩。有何神像我們的 神這樣有豐盛的憐憫和赦罪之恩，願意塗抹、潔淨我們一切已犯的罪，並且使我們原本因受定罪而壓傷的骨頭都可以再起來踴躍！（7-8節）
更沒想到的是， 神還要賜給我們新心和新靈，使我們可以遵行祂的旨意。大衛呼求說，「神啊，求祢為我造清潔的心，使我裡面重新有正直的靈。不要丟棄我，使我離開祢的面，不要從我收回祢的聖靈。」（10-11節）感謝主，因著彌賽亞的救贖，蒙恩的信徒今天都得著了這「清潔的心」，並且聖靈也內主在我們裡面，永不離開。在獻上憂傷痛悔的心為祭物之後，詩人坦然而且迫切地祈求一個樂意順服的靈，他要重新以 神的救恩為樂，再也不讓罪使他與 神分離。（12節）一個真正憂傷痛悔的人，一定是一個認識恩典的人，也一定是曉得用實際的改變來證實他的悔改的人。（13-17節）
最後，詩人不忘記為錫安與耶路撒冷求祝福，求 神來建造耶路撒冷的城牆，保護 神的兒女不像他自己一樣陷在仇敵的網羅裡而得罪 神。何等的感恩，如此生命的轉變。