About these words, Spurgeon wrote (in part): Who can gaze on a model of our anatomy without wonder and awe?

And: you are the owner of my inner parts and passions, not only the indweller and observer but also the acknowledged Lord and possessor of my most secret self.

When it came to understanding David’s knowledge concerning his personal creation, Spurgeon commented: There I lay hidden, covered by You. Before I could know You, or anything else, You cared for me. You hid me as a treasure until You saw fit to bring me to the light.

Psalm 51

Undoubtedly the most anguish-filled psalm is the one in which David, broken sinner that he was, lay prostate before God begging not only for the natural life of his newborn son but also for the spiritual life of himself. David, who had risen to such heights as to go from lowly shepherd – the last born son of Jesse – to king of a new dynasty, had fallen victim to his own weak, human ways. David, hailed and revered by thousands, was shamed by his deeds before those who were considered his subjects.

More than at any other time in his life, David desperately needed God. He needed his everlasting mercy, forgiveness, and to be reconnected to the One who knew him best and continued to love him most. David had sought after God’s heart and now God was seeking after David’s, drawing king to Sovereign. David knew that without this one purifying act, he would be lost forever.

The king was stepping off his own throne to lie before God’s. The one who reigned desired to be reigned over.

^“You do not delight in sacrifice,” David prayed, “or I would bring it;       you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (51: 16, 17).

Yet, David’s yearning for God’s mercy hardly ended in broken torment and separation from the Holy One of Israel. David understood that to love God was to both fall before that very throne facedown in moments like these and to stand before it with hands held high, crying out to the Great and Mighty One in praise, worship, and adoration.

“Ábba!” (Daddy) “Let it be that we remain your people forever, forever less of us, forever more of you!”

Reign In Us

Today there are new psalmist writing songs for us to sing in our churches, conferences, retreats, small groups and car radios. One such song is Reign in Us written by Ben Glover, Jon Neufeld, and Tim Neufeld (Jon and Tim Neufeld are the original members of the Canadian Christian group Starfield). A quick search for the lyrics or information about the song brings one to dozens of sites where fans write their own words of adoration. Not so much for the boys in the band (although they get their due) but for the powerful message of this song and how it impacts their individual lives as Christians. As David’s psalms moved generations of believers of the “great and mighty one,” these lyrics both inspire and convict us to walk under the guidance and touch of our Lord and Savior Jesus -- Son of David, Son of God.

Eva Marie Everson is the coauthor of the award-winning Reflections of God’s Holy Land and the recently released Things Left Unspoken. For more information about Eva Marie or to book her to speak at your next event, go to: www.EvaMarieEverson.com

[1] The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, James Orr, M.A., D. D., General Editor (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1939, page 797A

[2] Spurgeon, C. H., The Treasury of David; edited and updated by Roy Clarke (Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 1997), p. 1418.

Original publication date: June 27, 2009