After God's Own Heart

Psalms 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

So many times we fail to keep God's commandments.  We fail to study and read his word, to spend time alone with him.  Or we may just go through the motions because we're in a hurry to do other things, like go to work, clean house, etc.  Sometimes an impure thought will enter our minds so quickly that we don't realize it's there until it's too late.


In this chapter is the cry for forgiveness from David.  He committed adultery, conspiracy, and murder.  And this is the man after God's own heart.  Nothing is hid in the Bible.  The Bible not only shows us how we're to live, but how to come back to him when we have sinned.  We see this in the life of David.

 David started out in life as a shepherd and trusting God in everything.  He ran from King Saul in order to stay alive, for Saul was so jealous of David that he wanted him dead.  Saul knew that God was with David, and that he would be the new king after his death.  Even with the opportunity to kill Saul, David refused because Saul had been anointed by Samuel to be the first king of Israel.

And yet, through all this, David trusted God in everything.  People flocked to him because they found someone who was like them: an ordinary man to lead them.  Those who were broken, poor, and needy, followed David.  He was their king.  The Lord was blessing David before he took the throne.  And even after all that King Saul had tried to do to David, because of his friendship with Saul's son Jonathan, David brought his son into the king's house to look after him.  The reason being Jonathan's son was crippled, and he loved Jonathan.

David never addressed these sins until Nathan the prophet brought them to his attention.  Then David cried out to God and asked for forgiveness of his sins.  Personally, I believe that was why David was a man after God's own heart. Once his sins were brought out in the open, David was quick to ask forgiveness.  He didn't go through the motions.  In sincerity, David quickly bowed before God, confessed his sins, and asked forgiveness.



So when we have those sinful thoughts, or go through the motions when worshipping, let's do as David.  Confess our sins, ask God to forgive us, and trust him with all our heart.  And if you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, you can do the same.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.