Psalm 51:10-12
Verse 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
David continued from the cleansing from sin to the point of asking God to make him new. He wasn’t just asking God to clean him, he wanted to be made new. Notice the word he begins this section with, create. He didn’t ask God to remake him like he was before, he wants to be made new. The king knew left to himself, he would be back to making the same sinful mistakes again. This man knew he needed God to create a new person in him. He wanted God to make him a new person from the inside out.
The king had failed by following his fleshly heart. He had sought another man’s wife and then done all he could to get her for himself. David didn’t want to make those kinds of sins anymore. He knew he had failed God in the area of women and war before and he knew he couldn’t continue to follow his heart in those areas. He needed God to help him start anew so he could learn to recognize the first symptoms of the sin creeping back in. Like someone who is addicted to something knows they can’t be around certain places and people or they will be drawn back to their addiction, David knew he couldn’t allow those parts of his heart to remain.
David had also come to the understanding of what he was missing through these sins. He had gotten what he wanted, Bathsheba as his wife, but it wasn’t all he thought it would be. He had to admit being married to Bathsheba couldn’t come close to comparing to the joy he had when living for the Lord. Sure it was nice having her in the palace but she would always remind him of his turning his back on God.
To get his joy in the Lord back required admitting, repenting and changing his heart about God’s commands. He couldn’t have real joy without being close to the Lord. No woman or child would make up for the joy of being God’s man and knowing the favor of obedience. The joy of the Lord came from the Spirit of the Lord being close and so the king asks the Lord to not cast him away.
He also asked the Lord to restore the joy he had been missing in the time of his sin and unrepentance. He also requests that God would give him a spirit willing to obey. He has gone from thinking he got away with his sin to pleading with God to give him a new heart which only desired obedience.
Making It Personal
Have you ever asked God to help you stop sinning? Was it from a heart of repentance? How willing are you to ask God to remove your desire for sin?
Making It Personal Kids
Have you ever asked Jesus to help you stop sinning? Were you really wanting to stop? How willing is Jesus to help you stop if you really want to?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for this reminder to ask for Your help to get rid of sin in our lives. Help us be sincere in wanting to stop doing the things we know we shouldn’t. In Jesus’ name, amen.