Clean Heart
In my newsletter this week, I would like to ask if you like things neat and clean or dirty and disorganized. The reason I ask is because one thing you will know about me (if I can be a little transparent), is that I can’t stand a mess. One example is when dirty dishes are left in the sink and are not rinsed off. I would say this is definitely a pet peeve of mine. For this reason is why I am pretty diligent with making sure they are rinsed and loaded quickly right after they are used. See, for some reason, this helps me maintain a sense of cleanliness and brings peace of mind knowing I did not leave a mess at the end of the day. Much like dirty dishes, did you know that our hearts can get dirty too? Well it’s true! When we continually engage in sin, our hearts become filthy. The transgression fills our hearts with muck and the buildup keeps us separated from God and from living a righteous life. Just like the dishes, this is when we need to be cleansed. The difference with the dishes is it uses ordinary water, but with the heart, we need the living water-Jesus to be made clean. In order to achieve a clean heart, we have to ask for help. In the story in Psalms 51, we see from the verses below how David’s sin with Bathsheba led him to cry out to God. He asked for God to restore him and pull him away from his sinful desires that kept his heart polluted. He wanted his dirty heart to be replaced with a clean one. David also knew his sin caused him to lose his joy and he longed to have it back. However, he knew he was not strong enough to do it on his own and he needed to be rescued, so he cried out to God. My friends do you also carry around that same desire? Do you need to be rescued and need to be cleansed? Let me encourage you-no sin is too big for God to tackle. No sin is too great for God to redeem and no sin will ever be too much for God to forgive. So will you cry out like David and ask the Heavenly Father to cleanse your heart so you can regain your joy-he’s waiting!
Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Don’t toss me aside, banished forever from your presence. Don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to other sinners, and they—guilty like me—will repent and return to you.
Psalms 51:10-13
Chaplain Tracey Burns
Reflection Questions:
How would you classify the condition of your heart-mucky or sparkling clean?
Do you need to rid any dirty particles that are hidden inside?
What kind of things prohibits you from maintaining a clean heart?
What will you do to keep a steadfast spirit to continue on the path of righteousness?
Bonus: Great song (if you are interested) - Do you need to ask for a “Clean Heart”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfiqjzqSteQ