Create in Me a Clean Heart

This week we are looking at a powerful Psalm of repentance...Psalm 51. This psalm is written by David after he had committed ery with Bathsheba. It was a sin that he thought he had "gotten away with." Perhaps he thought that no one knew about it. I think it is more likely that he believed that he was "man enough" to handle the situation without consequences, much like a person takes up smoking and believes that it won't hurt them. It took the prophet Nathan to expose his sin and bring him to his knees in repentance.

When we lived in Chicago we attended a church that would occasionally have guest speakers come in for a weekend of ministry. One of the men that would come had a prophetic gifting. When he prayed for people God would often reveal things to him. Normally these things would insights into a person's situation that would give the person a sense of hope or direction, but sometimes there would be a revelation of hidden sin. It would be a powerful time of ministry that brought great healing and cleansing in a person's life.

As I look back on it, I can remember that I attended those meetings with anticipation and fear. Before I went, I would always spend time searching my heart to see if there was an area of sin in my life that I was hiding. The threat that my sin would be exposed led me to repentance. It was like going on a diet before the doctor's appointment.

The writer of Hebrews speaks of throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles (Heb 12:1). I sometimes wonder how much sin we tolerate in our lives. Do we really think that sin is no big deal? That's what David thought.

He learned that sin had consequences. When he faced his sin and saw its horror, he repented. He asked God for mercy, cleansing and renewal. He discovered that when he repented, God forgave. He found joy and his relationship with God moved to an entirely deeper level.

What about us? Do we think that we can live with sin and avoid its consequences? If a Nathan came to church this Sunday what would he say about us?

Before you come to church this week, take time to read Psalm 51 and ask the Lord to search your heart. Get right with him.