Psalm 51

From the depths of his sorrow David cries out to God. His selfish action had separated the king from his King. When he finally saw his sin he sought out God. He pleaded for the LORD to do the work of grace that the earthly king needed in his life. In verse 1 he asked for mercy. Verse 2 was the request for cleansing. Verse 7 is a repeated request for cleansing while verse 8 is a call for God's gracious joy. Verse 9 is an invitation for the removal of guilt. Verse 10 may have been the most difficult request; replace the broken heart that guides my life. There are probably fewer things that hurt worse than a broken heart. But David knew that the pain in his life would only be resolved through another breaking; this time by the hand of the Almighty.
Stuart