Devotions: Right Response

 

Create in me a clean heart, God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

David wrote this psalm after great sin had been revealed. He had slept with another man’s wife, got her pregnant, plotted to kill her husband (who also happened to be one of his closest friends), and then married her to cover up the sin. Seemingly no one knew what he had done, but God knew. After the baby was born, the prophet Nathan came to David, and revealed that God knew about the sin and the child would die as a result. Of course David was grieved over the loss of his son, but he was also grieved over his sin, over his great offense to God. He sinned greatly, but he also grieved greatly over it. He repented of his sinning, meaning that he not only asked God to forgive him, but also acknowledged how wrong it was and determined not to return to that sin. That is why the Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart. He longed for the heart of God, desiring to please and be near to God continually. That is why he prayed this prayer for God to cleanse him of his sin and renew his spirit, so that he could be close to God again, for our sin separates us from God. The word steadfast could be translated firm, stable, or established. He wanted God to cleanse his heart and then make his sprit firm, immovable, to establish it in him so that he would not stray. That is true repentance; acknowledging the wrong, asking forgiveness, and turning away from it toward God. That is how we should respond to sin. It should grieve us to the point that we desire to be cleansed of it so that we no longer offend God, so that we can be close to Him. How do you respond to your own sin? Does it grieve you? Ask God to reveal your sin, cleanse your heart, and bring you closer to Him. He has promised to do it if we ask.

 

 

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Translations of Greek and Hebrew words taken from blueletterbible.org