Jun 13 2021

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Fact: Humans don't always act right. And we see it all around us: road rage, greed, lust, pride; the list goes on and on. People allow emotions to control their (our) actions and, thus, have to suffer the consequences.

After we come to Christ, we accept His grace and receive a new life. But if we aren't careful, we can slip back into our old way of living. In order to remain close to God, and push away from our old life, our heart's cry should be to become more like Christ.

In Psalm 51, King David tells us about a process that takes place in our hearts. This is part of a prayer, a cry to God, in which he says, "create in me a clean heart." People who create things go through a series of steps, but only God can create something out of nothing. Yet in this Psalm, David is asking God to form a clean heart inside him because it's a process.

David also asks the Lord to "renew a right spirit" within him. Without God working in our lives, we don't always do what is right. We need God to change our hearts to make us more like Him—but not just leave us there. We also need God to continuously renew us and make us right in His sight.

God, I am incapable of having a clean heart without your help. I don't always act right. I know that sin can't stand in your sight because you are pure and holy. I can't control the desire to sin without your strength in my life. Thank you for showing mercy to me when I fall short of your perfection, and help me to become more like you. In Jesus' name, amen.

Jun 12 2021

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. :

In this verse from Romans, the apostle Paul writes that we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths. Our confession is our salvation! This is a revolutionary idea for what salvation entails because it means that we don't need to do anything to be saved; we need only admit that we need the Lord to help us.

One of the major distinctions between Christianity and many other religions is that our salvation through Jesus Christ comes through a confession—we confess that we need Jesus to help us; we can't do it without Him. We are confessing that we will never be good enough to approach the Lord or deserve to enter Heaven, and are simultaneously turning to the One who is.

Jesus is our salvation. His perfect life and death made it possible for the Lord's righteousness to be imparted to us. He made it possible for us to have what we could never earn. Our confession opens the door for Him to help us, and it is the key to our salvation.

Because of this, we don't need to harbor any shame about the sins of our past. We're no longer bound to them, and the Lord does not count them against us because Jesus has paid the cost once and for all. Jesus' death has covered our sins once and for all, and we can walk in freedom without the burden.

Today, rest in the truth that our salvation comes through the power of our confession. If you are struggling with shame, remember this verse. Cling to the promises it offers, and ask the Lord to help you experience freedom.

Heavenly Father, I pray the Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth. Keep me from being swayed by evil which tries to discourage me from the real truth. Help me to always believe in my heart your greatness and watch over me as I encounter temptations. Let my belief in you overcome darkness. I pray that my words, my actions, and my beliefs will lead me down a good path; one that will bring me closer to you and give me salvation in the end. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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