Psalm 51:10-11
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
We're all pretty familiar with the story of David and Bathsheba — how he lusted after her and broke God's commandments by committing adultery and murder.
Psalm 51 is a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet approached him after David committed these acts. The entire chapter is so rich, but we will focus on verses 10 & 11 where we see David crying out to the Lord for a clean heart and right spirit, because the flip side of that is being cast away from God's presence because of his sin, and having the Holy Spirit taken from him.
David understood the power of true repentance, and the consequences that would follow if he did not humble himself to take accountability for his actions. This is the reason why we know David as "a man after God's own heart" — he knew he needed to be better on every level in order to remain in the presence of God, receive blessings from God and serve the most High in all righteousness.
To repent is to turn away from our sins and choose the path of life, and true repentance isn't talked about enough. Many believers dread the term or believe that they have a repentant heart, only to backslide into the same sin again. This is why it's so important to cry out to God as David did, for a clean heart and right spirit. It is only then that we will embark on the journey of true spiritual growth and fellowship with God.
We all fall short of the glory of God, but He loves us so much that He has provided a way to bridge the gap between Himself and His children — Christ is that way, He's the truth and He's the life. The most High is a righteous and holy God, and when we sin, we cause ourselves to be separated from Him, but believing on the Messiah puts us in His loving mercy and grace again.
Let's all pray for a clean heart and right spirit with the Lord ♥️.
Love,
Bre and Raoul
Your sister and brother in Christ at The Good Fruit Gift Shop