September 28, 2007 Psalms 51:10-12

09/28/2007

Psalms 51:10-12(NRSV)

¹⁰    Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and put a new and right spirit within me.¹¹    Do not cast me away from your presence,
    and do not take your holy spirit from me.¹²    Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and sustain in me a willing spirit.

These verses may be familiar to you. They have been put to song and are often used in devotionals.

But let’s look at these words once again. What does it mean to have a “clean heart” or a “new and right spirit”? (some translations say “renew a steadfast spirit in me.)

A clean heart can be thought of in two ways. First, clean as in pure: we need to be sure that our motives and desires are pure in that we want the things that God has ordained as good and right. We are constantly at battle with our natural desires and what God tells us is right. We are to take conscious control of our basal desires and walk as God would have us to. Second, when we fail to do what we know is right, we become scarred: we carry the guilt of that failure with us. Think of your heart as a chalkboard. When it is new, the chalkboard is clear of any residue, but when you write on it and erase several times, it becomes cloudy and sometimes you can still even make out what was written in the past. We can thank God that when He forgives sin, it is completely washed away, not just erased to leave traces in our lives. Therefore, if we seek His forgiveness, He makes us completely clean.

Then, by keeping ourselves pure (by not writing something on the chalkboard that needs to be removed), and by his cleansing, he provides us with a new (or renewed) spirit that is right with him.

Let me make another illustration. When you first met your love, remember how you could not seem to do enough for that person? You wanted to shower that person with gifts or words to please them. When we remember the glorious gift of our salvation, it brings forth that same spirit in us to continue to please God as much as we are able: it gives us that “willing” spirit.

These verses are a prayer that we will have the strength to live rightly with God. Can you pray this? Will you pray this?

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