Let’s get right to it: how is your heart before God today?
The Bible, in its truth, thankfully does not sugarcoat the lives of God’s people; we see their good, their bad and even their all-out ugly sides. God saves and walks with imperfect people. He is forever showing grace and forgiveness to us; praise Him! However, that being said, God does desire a holy people, a church of purity and integrity. Not only does He desire a pure and Holy people, but He has made a way through the cross for this to be a reality.
David was known as a man after God’s own heart, but he certainly didn’t always act like it at times. In Psalm 51, we find a very guilty David responding to having been confronted by Nathan, the prophet in 2 Samuel 11 & 12. David pours out his heart before God in repentance in Psalm 51 and in v 10 there is a beautiful plea from him to God: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
David had committed adultery and murder and was living with a crushing sense of guilt, but God had better for him. After Nathan confronted him, David repented from his sin and received God’s powerful, wonderful release of forgiveness, grace and mercy. In verse 7 of Psalm 51, David’s plea was, ‘wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow’.
The beautiful truth is that today, we can all experience the washing of God from sin. Hebrews 9:22 states, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. But through Jesus Christ’s shed blood, death and resurrection, we can know guilt and shame removed, peace that passes understanding, renewal of heart and total forgiveness when we come and confess our sin to Him.
Only you will know where your heart truly is before God right now. But this is an invitation to take a moment before the Lord, asking Him to search you and reveal any sin in you, to then bring any conviction to Jesus and the cross that you might experience His washing of heart, mind and conscience, a clean heart, and a renewed spirit within you. Upon forgiveness, He may ask you to do something about that sin; say sorry, relent from something or even a change of direction, but it will all be for your good, for He is good and always good to us.
Let’s finish with this verse, Acts 3:19-20 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
Heavenly Father, I repent of my sin before You, my sin of…(fill in the blank). I acknowledge it’s against You that I have sinned, and I want You to forgive me, cleanse me, create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me. I thank You that through the cross and the shed blood of Jesus, I can know Your forgiveness, grace, mercy, healing, love and peace. I love You, Lord. Amen.