Create in Me a Clean Heart – God’s Business of Heart Replacement

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Psalm 51:10

Dear Kids,

There are some things about getting older that are not fun. Over the years our physical bodies break down and actions we never thought about twice become more difficult as aches and pains become the norm. Sometimes these hurting body parts, such as the knee or the hip, can be somewhat easily replaced. But other times it’s not quite as easy. While physical joint replacements have become commonplace with modern technology, there is another type of exchange that only God can perform. This is the business of “heart” replacement.

Sin Creates Great Suffering

King David wrote Psalm 51 during a very difficult time in his life. He had committed a terrible sin by sleeping with another man’s wife, tried to cover up his transgression when he found out the woman was pregnant, and finally arranged for the murder of her husband when he realized he couldn’t get out of the fix without anyone knowing.

For a year the king silently suffered from guilt and shame over his sin to the point of physical illness while all the time trying to act like nothing was wrong . . . until one day a prophet of the Lord came to David and confronted him. David fell on his face in grief and sorrow begging God for forgiveness. He wrote this Psalm during this time of grieving, and in it he recognized the fact that he needed a new heart.

David’s Prayer – Create in me a clean heart

David was broken over his sin nature and all the mess that had transpired in his life because of it. He realized he had disobeyed God’s law by taking what wasn’t his, and this affected his relationship with God. He needed more than a quick fix. He needed a new heart. So he begged God to create a new heart within him – one that was fresh and clean with a steadfast spirit of obedience.

The prophetic books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel also speak of God’s “heart replacement” business. Each of us is hardened by sin with no hope of healing unless God intervenes. But the prophets speak good news for those who grieve over their sin.

The Prophets Speak of a New Heart

In Ezekiel 11:19-20 God promises to take out the stony, stubborn heart and replace it with one that is tender and responsive. so that the recipient will  have the power to obey his decrees and regulations. Likewise, the prophet Jeremiah spoke for God saying, “I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly” (Jer. 24:7).

David understood these encouraging words, spoken first to the nation of Israel, and the promises apply for us today as well. While we may or may not be able to fix our physical infirmities with joint replacements and organ transplants, we are assured that we can find hope and healing for the problem of our spiritual heart.

When we call out to God in our distress and grief over sin, we can be assured that God will hear. And just as he did for King David, he will create within us a new heart. It will be fresh and clean giving us the supernatural ability to seek Him and follow His laws wholeheartedly.

The Heavenly Physician Specializes in Heart Replacement

This incredible blessing of forgiveness and healing is only possible because of the Great Heavenly Physician. The Lord, the Mighty God, desires to make us new and whole. He is loving, merciful, powerful, and our only hope. “Create in me a clean heart” is the cry of the repentant sinner. Turn to Him today for He is the only One who specializes in true and successful “heart replacement.”

Love,

Mama

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