“Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.”
Psalm 51:12 MSG – A verse of the day from the Bible presented in Eugene Peterson’s contemporary version called The Message. Accompanied by a personal reflection below.
David’s optimism is contagious, don’t you think? His energy is palpable. This is how you cultivate a personal relationship with God, your heavenly father — you express yourself honestly; you tell him you need him; you ask him to do for you what you can’t do for yourself; you promise to love him back; you commit to being willing to learn and to change; you praise him to one and all. Are you doing all that and more, gentle reader?
Passages like this demonstrate very vividly why you like Peterson’s translation so much. Wow! He really captures it. The familiar English translations are already so powerful but he brings out even more of the emotion and spirit and over the top imagery. And yes, I agree with you: David’s example is contagious! Thank you for this inspiring post.
Many thank you’s for your feedback as well; it is much appreciated.
Regards, Simmi D. Isaac (Sent from my iPhone)
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