A Clean Heart

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Psalm 51:10 TLB.

We cannot tell what lies within a person's heart. Only God knows the motives and conditions of our hearts when we do the things we do, when we say the things we say. And only God knows the exact fear, anger, heartache, disappointment, wickedness, deceit, greed, lust, pretense, self-righteousness, pride, pain, and struggle that takes place in each heart. When too much dust gathers on a tabletop, we soon lose sight of the original clean look that it once had. When too much negative element gathers upon our hearts, we soon lose the unblemished state that used to be.

Just last week, a tug of war that began in my heart brewed into a battle of good and evil, which manifested into a case of insufferable criticism (of others), judgment (of others), empathy (for self) and I ended up terribly disgruntled. The war between good and evil lasted but for less than 48 hours but it was enough to build up unrest and angst within me. In short, evil did not sit well with my soul, or in this case, my heart. My heart, invaded by evil, was fighting against it with every last ounce of strength. When Sunday came, it was exhausted but not ready to give up.

As the sun rose, I got ready to go to church. As I found myself a place at the pew, He found His place beside me. I couldn't cry out to Him to tell Him how much I needed a clean heart. I didn't know how to sing my way to a clean heart. I knelt down at His foot stool, and let my heart do the talking. As we both sat and listen to the sermon, we know the LORD was speaking to us. My heart softened as my mind received understanding. It is vanity to just possess good theology, what the LORD desires of me, of us, is a good heart. The condition of our hearts matters dearly to Him. When the service was over, my heart and I just sat at the pew and released our exhaustion and wounds sustained during the battle to the LORD. As the living waters from His Word refreshed my spirit, it also purged my heart of filth and vanity. What was left after that was an empty heart ready for more of Him, that it may give more of Him.

A man of God once wrote, "Real change is an inside job. You might alter things a day or two with money and systems, but the heart of the matter is and always will be, the matter of the heart."


Create in me a clean heart, O God
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