Psalm 51:10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in me.
Since I was a small child Psalm 51 has been on my favorite portions of the scripture. It is a psalm of repentance and of turning from self. The psalmist pleads for God's forgiveness and mercy. Some say that it was written by David after his sin with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. In some ways it is a psalm of grief for things that can not be undone.
I pray verse 10 of Psalm 51 often but not necessarily because I have sinned some great sin. I recognize that are so many reasons that I need my heart cleansed. I find myself distracted from the pursuit of God's Spirit by a love for material things. It is in my human nature to become greedy and dissatisfied with life. I can become proud and short-tempered. A host of other sins await to pounce upon me when I least expect it. Yes, I need God to continually cleanse my heart so that my motives are pure before him.
The next part says, "renew a right spirit in me." This is a right attitude. I often find that, if I search carefully, there are traces of a wrong attitude in me. Perhaps I feel that someone has slighted me when that really wasn't their intention. I feel that what I am asked to do at work is not fair. Maybe my boss is too demanding or my co-workers do not respect me. (Note: I have a great boss and great co-workers at both my secular and ministerial jobs.) If I search my heart I will find that the problem truly lies with me. Perhaps I have not prayed enough so my flesh is showing rather than my God's Spirit. Yes, my attitude and my spirit need continual renewing.
All of us are on a path toward perfection but none of us has arrived yet. We need the daily presence of the Holy Spirit to work in us and keep our spirits humble. We need the wisdom of the Scriptures to guide the way and we need fellowship with people who will encourage us to do the right thing. I can identify with David in his prayer for a clean heart and a renewed spirit; can't you?
Prayer: Lord, help me today to have a right spirit and attitude. Forgive me for the times when I have had a wrong attitude to my fellow man and help me to show your love to everyone I meet today. Amen!
Since I was a small child Psalm 51 has been on my favorite portions of the scripture. It is a psalm of repentance and of turning from self. The psalmist pleads for God's forgiveness and mercy. Some say that it was written by David after his sin with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. In some ways it is a psalm of grief for things that can not be undone.
I pray verse 10 of Psalm 51 often but not necessarily because I have sinned some great sin. I recognize that are so many reasons that I need my heart cleansed. I find myself distracted from the pursuit of God's Spirit by a love for material things. It is in my human nature to become greedy and dissatisfied with life. I can become proud and short-tempered. A host of other sins await to pounce upon me when I least expect it. Yes, I need God to continually cleanse my heart so that my motives are pure before him.
The next part says, "renew a right spirit in me." This is a right attitude. I often find that, if I search carefully, there are traces of a wrong attitude in me. Perhaps I feel that someone has slighted me when that really wasn't their intention. I feel that what I am asked to do at work is not fair. Maybe my boss is too demanding or my co-workers do not respect me. (Note: I have a great boss and great co-workers at both my secular and ministerial jobs.) If I search my heart I will find that the problem truly lies with me. Perhaps I have not prayed enough so my flesh is showing rather than my God's Spirit. Yes, my attitude and my spirit need continual renewing.
All of us are on a path toward perfection but none of us has arrived yet. We need the daily presence of the Holy Spirit to work in us and keep our spirits humble. We need the wisdom of the Scriptures to guide the way and we need fellowship with people who will encourage us to do the right thing. I can identify with David in his prayer for a clean heart and a renewed spirit; can't you?
Prayer: Lord, help me today to have a right spirit and attitude. Forgive me for the times when I have had a wrong attitude to my fellow man and help me to show your love to everyone I meet today. Amen!
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