Dancing on broken legs

Wow.  Psalm 51 is an amazing Psalm.  I've just been reading about David's zenith and plummet, and now I get to see his reaction to the whole thing, after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba.  David is so full of repentance and sorrow that he does not even take the time to write an introduction of any sort; he just jumps right into the meat of the Psalm, begging for God's forgiveness and mercy.  Boy, do I know what David felt like.  How often do we feel like God has "crushed our bones" (verse 8)?  Sinning - and then repenting - is painful.  Sometimes we really don't want to learn, and God has to finally allow our legs to be figuratively crushed so that we will stop going down that path.  But the cool thing is, we can see from this Psalm that that's really what's best for us!  It is only when we have finally repented that we can hear joy and gladness (verse 8), have the joy of our salvation restored (verse 12), and declare His righteousness and praise (verses 14, 15).  I praise God that He truly does "turn our mourning into dancing" (Psalm 30:11).  When we have finally been brought to a place of repentance in the midst of our deep sin, it is then that God restores us.  It is then that He gives us the ability to dance on our broken legs :).

Psalm 51
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him
after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

 ¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
   blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
   and cleanse me from my sin.

 ³ For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is always before me.
⁴ 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.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
   sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
   you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

 ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
   and blot out all my iniquity.

 ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

 ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
   so that sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
   you who are God my Savior,
   and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord,
   and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
   you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart
   you, God, will not despise.

 ¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion,
   to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
   in burnt offerings offered whole;
   then bulls will be offered on your altar.