Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
We start this month focusing on renewal and restoration with a verse that is among my favorites. When I was in college we sang a song based upon this psalm and it brings back memories of days long past for me. And perhaps you, too, have stories or memories relating back to this verse.
This psalm came after David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about the affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. David, having been confronted, was left to face his moral failures. In that moment he cried out desperately to God for total renewal. He recognized his failures and the grave sins he had committed. He realized that he couldn’t just apologize and everything would go back to normal. He needed a total renewal of his heart. And so he cried out to God in his desperation.
It is a very interesting choice of words that David used in his pleas to God. He chose to use the Hebrew word bara. In English, we see it translated as create but in Hebrew there is a much deeper meaning. Bara is used to explain how something entirely new comes from nothing. He realized that his heart was severely damaged by his sins and beyond repair. He knew it would take God doing something – creating a new heart – for him to be renewed.
He also used a word for clean or pure that implied a total lack of contamination. He wanted to erase the past, to scrub away the contamination of his sins.
From there, he asked God to renew a steadfast spirit within him. He was asking for the stability to stay faithful, he did not want to be disobedient in any way and asked God to renew a spirit within him that would help him stay strong and faithful.
This month we will be spending all our time seeking God and learning how He renews and restores us. Begin today by asking God to renew your heart and create a steadfast spirit in you. And know that He has heard you and is a faithful Father who wants what’s best for you.
Prayer: Lord, I want a heart that is pre and uncontaminated by my sins. Create a new heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit in me. And let me serve you with this new heart and renewed spirit. Amen
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