Read: Psalm 51:7-17

Praise is the song of a soul set free.

心灵得释放，就会发出赞美之歌。

A broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17

上帝啊，忧伤痛悔的心，祢必不轻看。-诗篇51篇17节

During my friend Myrna’s travels to another country, she visited a church for worship. She noticed that as people entered the sanctuary they immediately knelt and prayed, facing away from the front of the church. My friend learned that people in that church confessed their sin to God before they began the worship service.

我朋友米娜在国外旅行时，曾参加当地一间教会的聚会。她注意到人们一进入教堂，就会马上背向讲台屈膝祷告。后来米娜才知道，这间教会的会友在敬拜开始之前，都会先向上帝认罪。

This act of humility is a picture to me of what David said in Psalm 51: “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (v. 17). David was describing his own remorse and repentance for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. Real sorrow for sin involves adopting God’s view of what we’ve done—seeing it as clearly wrong, disliking it, and not wanting it to continue.

在我看来，这种谦卑的态度，就是大卫在诗篇51篇中所描写的景象：「上帝所要的祭，就是忧伤的灵。上帝啊，忧伤痛悔的心，祢必不轻看」（17节） 。大卫的这段话，是他与拔示巴犯奸淫罪之后的懊悔与认罪。真正为罪忧伤的人，会从上帝的眼光来看自己所做之事，知道那的确是罪，进而厌恶罪，并且不愿一错再错。

When we are truly broken over our sin, God lovingly puts us back together. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This forgiveness produces a fresh sense of openness with Him and is the ideal starting point for praise. After David repented, confessed, and was forgiven by God, he responded by saying, “Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise” (Ps. 51:15).

只要真心认罪悔改，慈爱的上帝就会赦免我们，使我们得洁净。「我们若认自己的罪，上帝是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义」（约翰一书1章9节）。上帝的赦免使我们可以坦然无惧地来到祂面前，这也是我们开始向上帝献上赞美的最佳时机。当大卫懊悔、认罪并蒙上帝赦免后，他回应说：「主啊，求祢使我嘴唇张开，我的口便传扬赞美祢的话。」（诗篇51篇15节）

Humility is the right response to God’s holiness. And praise is our heart’s response to His forgiveness.

我们要谦卑地面对上帝的圣洁，并以赞美来感谢祂的赦免。

Pray:

Dear God, help me never to excuse or minimize my sin. Please meet me in my brokenness, and let nothing hold me back from praising Your name.

亲爱的上帝，帮助我不为罪找理由或试图将其淡化。当我为罪忧伤时，求祢洁净我，让我能毫无阻隔地赞美祢。

Read: Psalm 51:7-17 

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.8 Let me hear joy and gladness;let the bones you have crushed rejoice.9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,  you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.15 Open my lips, Lord,  and my mouth will declare your praise.16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.17 My sacrifice, O God, is[a] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart  you, God, will not despise.

整理：于姊妹