Here is Psalm 5 from The Message. "I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar" -- I love the honesty and brokenness in that. Our lives are all made of pieces, some good, some bad, but laying them all open before God is the important thing. He knows all of our pieces anyway but He cannot begin to mend them and mold us into something stronger until we present all of the pieces to Him and give up our selves for His ongoing transformation of us. I don't see this as a one-time deal. As the Psalm says "Every morning you'll hear me at it again." God calls us to that constant turning over of our selves. Just as this Psalm goes on to talk about the sins and bad things that come from others, we must always recognize those things in ourselves and turn them over to God. As we grow closer on our walk with Him, I think we more readily recognize sin in ourselves. I am glad that God never gives up on me but continually calls me to Himself, and continually allows me to lay myself -- all my pieces -- open and vulnerable to Him for His transformational power.

1-3 Listen, God! Please, pay attention!
Can you make sense of these ramblings,
my groans and cries?
King-God, I need your help.
Every morning
you'll hear me at it again.
Every morning
I lay out the pieces of my life
on your altar
and watch for fire to descend.

4-6 You don't socialize with Wicked,
or invite Evil over as your houseguest.
Hot-Air-Boaster collapses in front of you;
you shake your head over Mischief-Maker.
God destroys Lie-Speaker;
Blood-Thirsty and Truth-Bender disgust you.

7-8 And here I am, your invited guest—
it's incredible!
I enter your house; here I am,
prostrate in your inner sanctum,
Waiting for directions
to get me safely through enemy lines.

9-10 Every word they speak is a land mine;
their lungs breathe out poison gas.
Their throats are gaping graves,
their tongues slick as mudslides.
Pile on the guilt, God!
Let their so-called wisdom wreck them.
Kick them out! They've had their chance.

11-12 But you'll welcome us with open arms
when we run for cover to you.
Let the party last all night!
Stand guard over our celebration.
You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers,
for decking us out in delight.