Devotional Day 45

Scripture

Psalm 51:10-17

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Devotional

Yesterday we looked at the beginning of Psalm 51 and how God’s grace cleanses us from sin through his merciful forgiveness and the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. Today we are going to look at how we can also ask for God’s grace on the other side of sin, to restore our hearts and minds.

So often we can get caught up, trapped in the guilt and shame of our sin. Even though we’ve repented, confessed and encountered the cross of Christ for our forgiveness we can still suffer with the guilt of our sin. David’s psalm helps us so much with the aftercare of sin. David doesn’t simply want God’s forgiveness so he can move on, knowing that he is right with God - no David wants so much more than this, he wants freedom, in his mind, his heart and his soul.

Honestly, I’ve always been amazed at King David. He didn’t get trapped in the trauma and shame of what he had done, he moved forward. He was able to have a joyful, intimate and confident relationship with the Lord even after such grievous sin. Do you want this? Do you want to not just know that you’ve got a fresh slate with God, but to feel the inner knowing of the guilt of your sin being washed away by the blood of Jesus? Let’s ask God for what David asked for. Let’s go after more than simple justification. Let’s go after pure hearts, steadfast spirits, the restoration of the joy of our salvation.

Let’s read David’s request of the Lord slowly, with faith. Can you see the wonderful childlike faith that David had? He believed God was able to do so much in his heart, that God loved him, truly. He asked God to firstly create in him a pure heart. Wow, David recognised the sin in his heart that drove him to committing adultery and indirect murder and he brought that heart to God, asking Him to make it pure. Let’s ask God for the same thing today, create in us a pure heart Lord! We can’t do it ourselves, would you do it Lord - purify our hearts!

Next David asks the Father to renew a steadfast spirit within him.

Confession time, when I was a teenager I was a part of the ‘Boys Brigade’, it’s sort of like a mix between christian boy scouts and military cadets. While all the cool kids were hanging at youth group on friday nights I was making sure my sailor’s cap was straight, as myself and a couple of dozen other boys did marching drills on repeat around a church basketball court. Super cool. However it wasn’t all drills and knot tying, they also taught us how to be men that loved Jesus. Funnily enough, the Boys Brigade motto was “Sure and Steadfast”, It’s always stuck with me. The word steadfast means: “resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering”. David asks God to renew a steadfast spirit within him, that his spirit might be locked down, unwavering, uncompromising, firm as an anchor. When we’ve been spiralling in sin and are unable to catch ourselves, maybe even shocked at what we’ve done, pray for God to renew a steadfast spirit within you - He can do it. He did it for David.

There’s so much in this passage to ask God for, and I’d encourage you to go slowly through David’s prayer and ask the Lord to give you what David asked God for. The restoration of the joy of your salvation, a willing Spirit and the deliverance from the guilt of your sin. All of this is a plea for God’s gracious redemptive ministry to you. He doesn’t have to heal you, but He chooses to because He loves you. We don’t deserve for God to put us back together, but because of his boundless grace, he delights to.

Prayer

Father, give me today what David asked you for: A pure heart, a steadfast spirit, the joy of my salvation, a willing spirit and the removal of the guilt of my sin. Lord I don’t just want a get out of jail free card - I want to be redeemed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.