A Cleansing from WIthin

FRESH Official Podcast

When you stop and think about it, we know instinctively that our actions flow directly out of what’s going on in our heart. The problem is, all too often, we don’t stop and think about it.

So, when was the last time you were cranky. Why? What triggered it? Doubtless some stupid little thing that really didn’t matter, but still you reacted to it based on what you had going on inside just in that moment.

Or perhaps your reaction was merely another step along a well-worn path you’ve been travelling for years – stimulus, response, stimulus response. And the further we walk down that path, the more we find ourselves falling into destructive behaviour that we can’t seem to get free from.

Such was the case for King David of Israel back when he committed adultery and murder in one fell swoop. And realising that this terrible thing that he’d done came from his heart, knowing that he was powerless to stop himself, this is what he prayed:

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (NRSV)

Changing your heart deep down is really difficult and, more often than not, nigh on impossible. So David was smart enough to ask God to do it for him; to undertake a deep cleansing of his heart; to bring His Holy Spirit to bear so that with his heart transformed by God, the right changes in his behaviour would flow.

What a smart thing to ask for, rather than trying to change your actions when your heart’s still in the wrong place.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.