Psalm 51:10-13 ~
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence
and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and uphold me by your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall be converted to You."
Depraved David had slipped and tumbled deep into depths of depravity that even we, we in our immorally crazed society, cast a judgmental eye I upon.
Adultery ~ well, yes, we must admit that is quite common and readily accessible. But, murder, oh my! And murder of a loyal and faithful friend and warrior. And the man who had known betrayal from friend and king now dove head first into depravity of the disloyal. Disloyal to friend and disloyal to God.
And depraved David laments over his sin-sick soul and pens Psalm 51 and the heavens part and merciful God beholds repentant sinner and depraved David is transformed into "a man after His own heart" once again.
And in verse 10 depraved David cries forth words that this depraved heart has whispered and whimpered to the throne of God hundreds, nay, thousands of times.
A depraved heart transformed into clean heart and feeble spirit is grafted into a steadfast Spirit.
A steadfast spirit ~ regardless of circumstances, trails or tribulations, regardless of stresses or difficulties, regardless of all that this world may throw at us our spirits are steady and sure. Steadfast. And this is not a thing that we can manufacture or muster, no this steadfast spirit is heavenly gift. And ALL the saints said amen, for steadfast without Christ we surely are not!
And as promise of Presence and Holy, Holy, Holy Spirit gifted to depraved David and to depraved me, is re-remembered and rejoiced over, then this "man after God's own heart," pens a startling revelation.
"Then I will teach transgressors Your way, and sinners will be converted to You." (verse 13)
We with previously depraved hearts of stone tell tale of mercy and grace and others are converted, converted to You.
I have some transgressors milling about, certainly a few sinners (which I am the chief) and those whom I love dearly and I worry wildly for. Worry is a sin I tell myself, but eternity and the thought of some prodigal sons and daughters I know being separated from Him forever living in torment for all of time with no reprieve ~ well, that thought makes me ill and causes me to rise early to plead on their behalf and to forgo a few morsels of bread to beg God to cause them to forgo their sin.
But . . . sinners shall be converted and returned to You.
Oh dear prodigal sons and daughters, you ran from the glory of your Father and now wallow in the muck; what has this world given you? What has this temporal temptress offered you but fleeting pleasures followed swiftly by loss and pain?
Prodigals, you have not seen the tears I weep over you, and yet my concern does not even touch the degree to which your Father aches for you.
Sons and daughters who have walked away, do you wonder with trepidation what your return would entail?
We with new hearts and gifted steadfast spirits are given this terribly awful privilege, so to prodigals and transgressors I pen my own version of this glorious Gospel we live ~
I tell you emphatically and with absolute certainty that no concern is necessary, for your homecoming promises to show Father so sweet.
For Father grabs robes about His feet,
and gleefully dashes to you to meet.
The Word tells us of one moment true,
when our Father runs, and He runs to you!
You have spent years far from His path,
for temporal, temptress lied, yes, she surely hath.
But now, you must stop your selfish roam,
and return to your Father's home.
Leave the muck and the mire,
do you not of the pigs finally tire?
A grudge, our Father does not hold,
and after all these years, you, He will gladly mold,
into the image of the One,
Jesus Christ, God's only Son.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence
and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and uphold me by your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall be converted to You."
Depraved David had slipped and tumbled deep into depths of depravity that even we, we in our immorally crazed society, cast a judgmental eye I upon.
Adultery ~ well, yes, we must admit that is quite common and readily accessible. But, murder, oh my! And murder of a loyal and faithful friend and warrior. And the man who had known betrayal from friend and king now dove head first into depravity of the disloyal. Disloyal to friend and disloyal to God.
And depraved David laments over his sin-sick soul and pens Psalm 51 and the heavens part and merciful God beholds repentant sinner and depraved David is transformed into "a man after His own heart" once again.
And in verse 10 depraved David cries forth words that this depraved heart has whispered and whimpered to the throne of God hundreds, nay, thousands of times.
A depraved heart transformed into clean heart and feeble spirit is grafted into a steadfast Spirit.
A steadfast spirit ~ regardless of circumstances, trails or tribulations, regardless of stresses or difficulties, regardless of all that this world may throw at us our spirits are steady and sure. Steadfast. And this is not a thing that we can manufacture or muster, no this steadfast spirit is heavenly gift. And ALL the saints said amen, for steadfast without Christ we surely are not!
And as promise of Presence and Holy, Holy, Holy Spirit gifted to depraved David and to depraved me, is re-remembered and rejoiced over, then this "man after God's own heart," pens a startling revelation.
"Then I will teach transgressors Your way, and sinners will be converted to You." (verse 13)
We with previously depraved hearts of stone tell tale of mercy and grace and others are converted, converted to You.
I have some transgressors milling about, certainly a few sinners (which I am the chief) and those whom I love dearly and I worry wildly for. Worry is a sin I tell myself, but eternity and the thought of some prodigal sons and daughters I know being separated from Him forever living in torment for all of time with no reprieve ~ well, that thought makes me ill and causes me to rise early to plead on their behalf and to forgo a few morsels of bread to beg God to cause them to forgo their sin.
But . . . sinners shall be converted and returned to You.
Oh dear prodigal sons and daughters, you ran from the glory of your Father and now wallow in the muck; what has this world given you? What has this temporal temptress offered you but fleeting pleasures followed swiftly by loss and pain?
Prodigals, you have not seen the tears I weep over you, and yet my concern does not even touch the degree to which your Father aches for you.
Sons and daughters who have walked away, do you wonder with trepidation what your return would entail?
We with new hearts and gifted steadfast spirits are given this terribly awful privilege, so to prodigals and transgressors I pen my own version of this glorious Gospel we live ~
I tell you emphatically and with absolute certainty that no concern is necessary, for your homecoming promises to show Father so sweet.
For Father grabs robes about His feet,
and gleefully dashes to you to meet.
The Word tells us of one moment true,
when our Father runs, and He runs to you!
You have spent years far from His path,
for temporal, temptress lied, yes, she surely hath.
But now, you must stop your selfish roam,
and return to your Father's home.
Leave the muck and the mire,
do you not of the pigs finally tire?
A grudge, our Father does not hold,
and after all these years, you, He will gladly mold,
into the image of the One,
Jesus Christ, God's only Son.
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