Delight

The lyrics for this song came from excerpts from Psalm 51. The backdrop for this psalm was King David being confronted by the prophet Nathan for committing adultery and murder. Even though David repented, things didn’t go as well for him after that moment. There were more difficulties, loses, betrayals, and battles. David reflected on his failure as he penned Psalm 51. These are the verses
I used:

Create in me a clean heart O God and renew
Renew a steadfast spirit within me

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit
You delight in a broken spirit
A broken and contrite heart

Have mercy on me my sin is ever before me
Wash me cleanse me for I’ve done what is evil
In your sight

O Lord open my lips
That my mouth may declare your praise
You delight in truth and wisdom
In my secret heart

What is a broken and contrite heart? Why would it be the Lord’s delight? It’s a worthy idea to meditate on for a moment. Here are some thoughts.

We’ve all fallen short. We’ve all made mistakes, some small, some severe. We’ve broken things, hurt and damaged others and created havoc in this broken and messed up world. We’ve all sinned.

We need to be restored. To have this happen we need to have a deep humility, a humility before the Lord. In this psalm, David openly admits his sin and failures, he confesses the Lord’s mercy is not something that He deserves, but desires. He desires renewal.

When our desire to be cleansed from our transgressions is so consuming, our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace with our Creator, completely open, recognizing our dependence to the Spirit of God for all that we have and all that we are. The brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master. A contrite heart means not just sorrow but the determination to not continue in our wrongdoing, using and abusing others, a determination to truly love others, no matter who they are or how truly difficult it is. I believe it’s the Lord’s delight to restore and create connection.

The second verse of the song is truly a confession: I can’t get away from the wrong I’ve done, it’s as ever before me, it’s mine. I wanted to express the truly sorrowful, repentant heart and plead for restoration and for God’s Spirit to truly reside so truth and wisdom would be in my most fundamental place, my secret heart, a twinkling that cuts through the darkness like a morning star, a way back to love and acceptance, a pinhole of light that is the pathway to mercy.

This song started from a dream. I dreamt the middle section of the song. I woke up hearing the drum groove in my head. It was a joyful dance, a dance of being set free, a dance of life, a dance of a new home. When I created the guitar part, I wasn’t settled until it made me move like I envisioned in the dream. Larry captured the groove perfectly, this dance of release.

This song is not only a text painting of that moment in King David’s life, it’s a prayer of confession in my own life in all that I failed in and failed to do. This might be only song I ever sing on a recording. I hope this prayer of mine ministers to you and your secret heart.