Psalm 19:12-13
12 Who could possibly know all that he has done wrong?
Forgive my hidden and unknown faults.
13 As I am Your servant, protect me from my bent toward pride,
and keep sin from ruling my life.
If You do this, I will be without blame,
innocent of the great breach.
I read this passage last week, after Thanksgiving. It was a balm to my hurting heart. I truly believe that a wise woman listens to her critics. As a woman, pastor’s wife, women’s ministry leader, and good grief — as a human being, I’ve been criticized! At some point we’ve all received criticism. Have you ever heard the term “constructive criticism?” As opposed to what? It all hurts and it’s hard, but in my recent experience, it was healthy. We are ever growing…and hopefully, ever maturing in our walk of faith. My heart was hurting because I had to face some hard truths about myself – all of them stemming from my bent toward pride. My dictionary app defines pride as “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority.” Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Go to my favorite Bible search site BIBLE GATEWAY and type in the word pride. Get ready for all the passages you will discover. Over 64 came up when I used the New Living Translation.
The twelfth verse is so comforting. How could we possibly know all we’ve done wrong? We are so frail. The Psalmist pleads to be forgiven of hidden and even unknown faults. This I know, I have them and recently when some were pointed out so they became known – I had to deal with the fallout. My emotions were everywhere, but thankfully they settled down on the side of grace and peace and a true desire for introspection.
I’m really praying verse 13. I’m asking the Lord – as His servant – to protect me from myself, from my pride. I truly want to be without blame and “innocent of the great breach.” A breach is a violation of a law, trust, faith, or promise…a severance of sorts.
One of my mother’s favorite verses is the last one in this Psalm, verse 14. I have included it below. I’ve known verse 14 from memory for a long time, but honestly never realized it’s depth based on verses 12 and 13, the ones I am memorizing now. It means all the more now, this plea:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Yes and amen.
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