10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ~ Psalms 51:10
David, wrote, “Create in me a clean heart …” after he slept with and impregnated another man’s wife and then had him carry his own death note. A man honorable and loyal he not only betrayed but had murdered in order to cover his own original sin of sleeping with and impregnating this man’s wife. After he’s committed this great sin, the LORD sends Nathan to correct the situation with King David. So, what does David do? He repents.
He humbles himself. His heart is grieved when he truly understands the severity of what he has just done. This is why David is called a man after God’s own heart. Not because he’s perfect, but because when shown the error of his ways, his heart breaks. He yearns for the righteousness of God. He seeks the LORD with all that is within him. He pants for the LORD as a deer pants for the streams.
Out of his heartbreak and distress and shame and guilt David cries out:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
It’s these moments that the LORD desires from us. Not vain attempts at looking outwardly perfect but falling to our knees in desperation as we cry out to Him because we finally grasp how imperfect we truly are. How evil and wicked our natural heart is. So, we cry out to Him longing for a heart not of stone not of deceit, but a pure heart. A clean heart.
Dear LORD, thank You for abounding in steadfast love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for giving me chance after chance. Thank You for never giving up on me though I deserve it. Thank You, God for all that You have done for me. Please forgive me for all the times I have fallen short. Every time I have blatantly and knowingly sinned. Please forgive me for the hardness of my heart and the wicked desires I continuously give into. Please create in me a clean heart. Renew in me a right spirit. Write Your Word upon my heart so that I might not sin against You. Continue to guide me in the ways of righteousness. Convict me, oh LORD, of any and all sins that grieve You. Let what grieves You, grieve me as well, LORD. Let not my flesh dictate my desires, but may You be my desire LORD God. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.