A good beginning to the week...

A new week awaits us, in spite of everything, let us look forward to what God will do.

Psalm 51

Have mercy on me, O God,

    according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

    blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

    and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

    and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

    and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

    and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,

    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

 Let me hear joy and gladness;

    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins

    and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

    so that sinners will turn back to you.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

    you who are God my Savior,

    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord,

    and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;

    a broken and contrite heart

    you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion,

    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,

    in burnt offerings offered whole;

    then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Psalm 71

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;

    let me never be put to shame.

In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;

    turn your ear to me and save me.

Be my rock of refuge,

    to which I can always go;

give the command to save me,

    for you are my rock and my fortress.

Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,

    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,

    my confidence since my youth.

From birth I have relied on you;

    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.

    I will ever praise you.

I have become a sign to many;

    you are my strong refuge.

My mouth is filled with your praise,

    declaring your splendor all day long.

Do not cast me away when I am old;

    do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

For my enemies speak against me;

    those who wait to kill me conspire together.

They say, “God has forsaken him;

    pursue him and seize him,

    for no one will rescue him.”

Do not be far from me, my God;

    come quickly, God, to help me.

May my accusers perish in shame;

    may those who want to harm me

    be covered with scorn and disgrace.

As for me, I will always have hope;

    I will praise you more and more.

 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,

    of your saving acts all day long—

    though I know not how to relate them all.

I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;

    I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

    and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I am old and gray,

    do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,

    you who have done great things.

    Who is like you, God?

Though you have made me see troubles,

    many and bitter,

    you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth

    you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor

    and comfort me once more.

I will praise you with the harp

    for your faithfulness, my God;

I will sing praise to you with the lyre,

    Holy One of Israel.

My lips will shout for joy

    when I sing praise to you—

    I whom you have delivered.

My tongue will tell of your righteous acts

    all day long,

for those who wanted to harm me

    have been put to shame and confusion.