Nougat 7

After being chastised by God, what is our reaction? Todays Holy Nougat offers an interesting perspective.

“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭15‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

Open My Lips to Praise God

I’ve quoted this verse several times, and never did it register that it was part of David’s repentance prayer. But it is. You may recall the story of David’s murder of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to cover up the fact that he was committing adultery with his trusted soldier’s wife. It’s sordid, and is a strong reminder of the reality of temptations in our life.

Not only did David sink to the level of rape and murder, He remained (blissfully) ‘unaware’, perhaps unconcerned that he did any wrong. But God was aware, and took David to task. At that point, when confronted by the reality that others knew his misdeeds, and that God was absolutely upset and offended, David repented.

He confessed, pouring out his contrition to God. His confession has been used by so many of us seeking forgiveness from God. David even asked God to blot out that sin from the records of David’s life. Can you imagine asking God such a thing!

Having confessed, leaving the response to God; David then shifted gears. He began to praise! It’s not that he forgot about his sin (at least not before the baby died), rather it suggests to me that David felt the grace that comes only when we know we’re forgiven.

For David, there’s only one response to God’s grace – continuous praise. As long as David’s Mouth was capable of speaking, he was prepared to praise God.

How is our praise folks? Are we a) ready to be vulnerable with God and confess those sins and b) ready to praise God from Whom All blessings flow? Including forgiveness. If forgiveness were withheld from us, where would we be?

Can we allow praise to flow from our mouths when God grants us our next moment of grace?

Open our lips Lord, so our mouths may sing praises to You.

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May all we seek be found in Christ