God, Be Merciful To Me

God, be merciful to me,

On Thy grace I rest my plea;

Plenteous in compassion Thou,

Blot out my transgressions now;

Wash me, make me pure within,

Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.

My transgressions I confess,

Grief and guilt my soul oppress;

I have sinned against Thy grace

And provoked Thee to Thy face;

I confess Thy judgment just,

Speechless, I Thy mercy trust.

I am evil, born in sin;

Thou desirest truth within.

Thou alone my Savior art,

Teach Thy wisdom to my heart;

Make me pure, Thy grace bestow,

Wash me whiter than the snow.

Gracious God, my heart renew,

Make my spirit right and true;

Cast me not away from Thee,

Let Thy Spirit dwell in me;

Thy salvation’s joy impart,

Steadfast make my willing heart.

Sinners then shall learn from me

And return, O God, to Thee;

Savior, all my guilt remove,

And my tongue shall sing Thy love;

Touch my silent lips, O Lord,

And my mouth shall praise accord.

THE PSALTER, 1912

KING DAVID had failed miserably. He had committed a terrible sin, and his cover-up had then led to murder.

Psalm 51, David’s confession, stands as a timeless example of public humility and private repentance. This hymn faithfully paraphrases that psalm. We see the king’s heartfelt sorrow. We see him struggle with the evil in his heart. We see his longing to be clean in God’s eyes. And we can understand—because all of us have been there in one way or another.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

Psalm 51:1-4