Pulpit Reflections: Create in me a clean heart
Do you know there are people in this world who like to clean? I know a few people who actually delight in cleaning. I am NOT one of those people! Oh sure I clean, but mine is more of a hit and miss method. I begin in one room and I find something in my bedroom that goes in the laundry room so I take it there. While I am in the laundry area (which also happens to be my kitchen) I find something that needs put away in the toy room so off I go. Before I know it, I have spent three hours cleaning and I really don’t have much to show for it except a large number of steps calculated on my Fit Bit.
The problem with cleaning is it only lasts for a short time unless everyone who lives with you does their part cleaning up after themselves. Those of you who have little ones in the house know how well that works! (The same could be said of some spouses.) Even when nobody is home, the dust bunnies still throw a party!
The 51st Psalm was written by King David after he had made a mess of his life. David had some serious cleaning up to do. He had taken another man’s wife (Bathsheba), gotten her pregnant, tried to cover it up and when that failed, had her husband killed in battle in an attempt to cover up his sin.
One lie led to another and God finally called him out using his prophet, Nathan. David repented and admitted his sins to God and asked for forgiveness.
Psalm 51:1-2: “Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love. Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins! Wash away all my evil and make me clean from my sin!”
The first thing David recognized was God’s love for him and us is greater than any sin we can commit. God can take the very worst thing we do or say and turn it around to be used for his glory. God loves us unconditionally and will not give up on us no matter how terrible we become, but He won’t save us unless we first surrender our strong-willed ways to Him.
David realized God knew the depths of his soul and David wanted to be put right with God. “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” God knew of David’s sin the moment he laid eyes on Bathsheba and felt lust in his heart. David knew what he was doing was wrong or he wouldn’t have tried to cover it up.
How often are we like David? How often do we think unkind things in our minds but don’t say them? How often do we sin against God by doing something He would not approve of and then try to cover it up or to justify our actions by saying something like, “I was tired or too stressed to think about what I did or said.” Or we think things like, “Well, at least I wasn’t as bad as David, I didn’t order anyone to be killed.” It doesn’t matter the size or the enormity of our sins. There is no hierarchy on the sin scale. Sin is sin!
You restore joy in salvation, by doing what Jesus calls you to do. When you have a clean heart you will want to share the love of God as David said in verse 15: “Help me to speak Lord and I will praise you… My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.” God wants your heart. God wants what in on the inside….your inner parts….your secret thoughts….your attitude…your love of self and others.
This week, I invite you to spend a little time housecleaning your heart. Is there a place where God is speaking to you? Are there actions He would have you take or actions He would rather you gave up? How is your attitude toward your spouse, your family, your coworkers, and your friends?
Do you need to get out the feather duster and brush away some old grudges or some hard feelings? I find it helpful if I take out my journal and write a letter to God. It’s often in my journaling that God speaks loudly to me about areas in my life that I need to clean up.
Whatever the method, ask God to show you where you could create a clean heart and reinforce a steadfast Spirit. May your cleansing lead you to a closer and more intimate relationship with the One who died for all of our sins.