PURE HEART

Psalm 51:10 , 17

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10, NKJV

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart-these, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 51:17, NKJV

Why does God have to create a clean heart in us? Because it doesn't come naturally! We were not born with a clean heart. Merriam-Webster Dictionary primarily defines the word "create" as "to create into existence." This pure heart was something that did not exist! God must create it, and what's more, He must continually re-create it, because we can do nothing to either create it or maintain it in our own power.

All we can do is ask Him for that clean heart. Our need for a clean heart is so undervalued by today's lukewarm Christians. When your heart is pure and known sins are confessed, there are no roadblocks to fellowship with God through His Holy Spirit. You'll be open to His leading and blessing, as well as His hand on your shoulder, stopping you from misplacing your priorities and being deceived by your own heart.

If you read the rest of Psalm 51, David speaks of what he will be able to do when his heart is pure before the Lord. He'll be able to be an example and testimony to unbelievers. His heart will be free to rejoice and sing before the Lord. He will be able to enjoy renewed closeness with God from the place of repentance and redemption. It stands to reason that the flipside is also true. We are not able to do those things when our hearts are not clean.

My prayer for us today, as a fellow believer desiring to serve the Lord, is that we will come to the realization that David did. A clean heart must be brought about from scratch by God, and all we can do is desire it and ask for it. Do you deserve it? Let me caution you that the process won't be pretty. Sins may come to light under the illuminating torch of the Holy Spirit we invited in, sins that we might very well rather have never had seen the light of day. It won't be pretty or pleasant to experience, because all sin is ultimately ugly and unpleasant in the end.

I'm so thankful we can cling to the final phrase of verse seventeen: "A broken and contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. “ The unclean, impure heart invites judgment. But the repentant heart is always. Always received with compassion and mercy and replaced with a clean one! Take a moment from what you are doing and let God's grace take hold of your heart. What a loving Father we have!!!

Father, thank You for this day and Your amazing grace to walk in it. Lord, open the windows of heaven and rain down Your abundant blessings upon us and our family today. Lord, help us be quick to realize when our heart isn't clean. Lord, help us be even quicker to admit we cannot cleanse it on our own and to ask You to recreate it. Lord, renew a right spirit within us so we may be a testimony of Your grace, sing without being strangled by our sin, and live the abundant life for which You have called and redeemed us. Lord, use us for Your glory and to the good of others around us.

Father, we love You. Amen.