Ready:
"God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:10
Set:
Most of us have a pair of shoes or cleats that are so worn out from years of use that our feet just slide right into them. They are so comfy! But the soles have no friction, and they don’t offer any sort of protection for your feet. We love to hold onto shoes like this because they’re comfortable. But just because they feel good doesn’t mean they’re good for us.
In Psalm 51, David is pouring out his heart to God after he sinned. His sin went on to affect many people in many heart-breaking ways. David sinned because he was focused on what felt good instead of protecting his heart. He allowed his flesh to guide him instead of the Spirit of God.
I have a pair of slides that I’ve worn almost daily for the last six years. They’re my favorite shoes to wear because they’re so comfy and feel so good to my feet. One afternoon last week I was walking in them and stepped on a sharp object. It went through my shoe and my foot. The comfortableness of the shoe didn’t mean much to me after it failed to protect my foot. It was short-lived. But like David, how often do we choose what feels good and what we naturally slide into because of what we want, instead of choosing the what might be a little uncomfortable, but leaves us protected? In Psalm 51:10, David is asking God for a new heart. He didn’t just ask God to clean up his worn-out heart, he asked Him for a new heart. He knew there was no hope in continuing with the old one. A heart ruled by the flesh (our wants and desires) does not give us the friction we need to stand when things get slippery in life or when the danger of sin lurks.
Once worn-out shoes get to a certain point, we must discard them. It would only be disastrous to keep them; the lack of protection outweighs the temporary comfort. So it is with our hearts – is it time to trade in your heart of flesh and allow God to create a clean heart for you?
Go:
Answer this hard question for yourself: Is your priority to remove the consequences of your sin, or is your goal to truly have a clean heart before the Lord?
What does having a clean heart look like?
Workout:
Overtime:
"Dear Heavenly Father, change my heart. Remove my fleshly will and desires because I know they’re useless to me in my new life in Christ. Help me to see things the way You see them and trust Your ways are better. Help me to learn from David’s slipping into sin. Please create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me. In Jesus’ name, amen.”