Face To Face With The State Of Our Heart

 The following words from a Psalm by King David were written after he had allowed his lust for a woman to lead him down the path of sexual immorality and murder. It would appear David is asking for sacrificial blood to be sprinkled on himself, so that he might be made clean before his God.

Sprinkle me with hyssop, then I will be clean. Wash me, then I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear you say, “Your sins are forgiven.” That will bring me joy and gladness. Let the body you have broken be glad. Take away all my sins. Wipe away all the evil things I’ve done. God, create a pure heart in me. Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you. Don’t send me away from you. Don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me. Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you. Give me a spirit that obeys you so that I will keep going. (Psalm 51:7-12 NIRV)

King David did not acknowledge what he had done until he was confronted by the prophet Nathan. Like us, he just kept going until he was brought face to face with the state of his own heart.  When making a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves, many of us are horrified by the things we have done.  Who or what brought us to that place where we admitted we were powerless over our dependencies and our lives were unmanageable?  

Like King David, did we call out to God to wipe away all the evil things we have done?  In His mercy, God waits for us to turn from sin and turn our will and life over to His care.  David asked to be given a new spirit that was faithful to God, so that he could have the joy that comes from being saved by God.  When we repent and give our lives over to the care of God, He gives us His Holy Spirit to be with us, and to live in us.  The Holy Spirit teaches us God’s ways and strengthens us to be faithful to God’s principles. With the Holy Spirit working in us, we will have the power that is greater than ourselves to obey God and keep us going forward in our new life in recovery.

Prayer: Loving God, I pray for the knowledge of Your will for my new life and the Power to carry it out. I praise and thank You that, as I move forward in recovery, I can rely on Your Holy Spirit to guide me and help me obey Your principles in all my affairs. Amen

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