Psalm 51:6-10

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” vs. 10

According to tradition Psalm 51 was King David’s fervent prayer to God after his sins of adultery and murder were exposed by the prophet Nathan. While it’s unlikely that David actually wrote these words they are so powerful, honest and forthright that countless sinners through the years have adopted them as their own. Today’s verse recognizes that forgiveness is not the last step in our healing. God has even more in store for us. Not only are our sins wiped away, we actually get heart transplants! That old hardened, darkened heart is replaced by a brand new clean one, and more than that, a new and right spirit is planted within us. And what does that mean for daily living? Quite obviously, it means change. We can be different people. We don’t have to keep on being the same old jerks for a lifetime. That new spirit within us is the Holy Spirit and will daily bring forth all the the love, joy, peace, and patience that people around us have been yearning to see. By the grace of God we are transformed, recreated so to speak, and we can actually be the incredible persons we have been gifted to be. Now does this mean we will never sin again? Unfortunately, no! We will daily continue in sin even as we are daily transformed. We will never outgrow our need for grace and daily re-creation.

Thought for the Day: What’s the relationship between re-creation and recreation?