A Clean Heart

Psalm 51:10

God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

David had committed willful sins of immorality, and there was no sacrifice for them. The sacrifices were for sins of ignorance, but David knew full well what he was doing. Here, he pleads to God from a broken spirit, knowing that his immorality had caused the defenses of the nation to become weak. In this prayer, he pleads for himself and for Zion. His only hope for forgiveness was to plead to God for mercy.

We have all committed willful sin, which is often the hardest to admit. We justify the sins we want to do and often deny they are sin at all. Guilt and shame, however, still accompany sin and weigh us down. When we are tired of carrying the heavy burden of shame, we can cry out to God with a broken spirit, and He hears us. He is faithful and just to forgive and even to restore us. Notice that David asked God to create a clean heart in him; he could not clean his own heart, no matter how hard he tried. He could never do enough good works to overcome the guilt and shame his sins caused, and the condemnation would send him into a pit of despair. His only hope was to cry out to God to save him from himself.

In verse 17 of this same chapter, David said, “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.” God will not turn away from a heart that is truly seeking forgiveness. He will create a new heart and renew the mind of the person who is broken before Him.

Verse 18 states, “In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem.” With David forgiven, healed, and restored, Zion could now prosper as God built her defenses against the enemy. When we refuse to admit our own sin, it leaves those under our care subject to attack. Once we confess our sins, receive God’s forgiveness, and allow Him to create a new heart in us, those under our care stand to prosper from our own healing. Everyone wins! God can restore an entire household when one parent or grandparent repents!

Do you find yourself in a pit of despair today? Is God just not answering your prayers? Perhaps, it is time to search your heart and let go of anything that hinders your relationship with God. Release any pet sins you’ve been nursing or defense mechanisms you’ve been allowing to isolate your heart. Bring your pain, your guilt, your concerns, and your needs to God, and seek His forgiveness for the ways you’ve tried to handle things yourself. Allow Him to heal your wounds, comfort you, and forgive you of any wrongdoing. He has so much more for you and has stored up blessings for you if you will only come to Him with a broken spirit and ready for Him to transform you. He will create a new heart within you, renew your mind, increase your faith, and restore what the enemy has stolen. The beauty of grace is what it is not earned. It is free for the taking, so why not take it? The pit is no dwelling place for a daughter of the King. Now is the time to return to the palace.

Have a blessed day!