A Clean Heart

 The Lord looks at our heart, not at our outward appearance. That is why we need to keep a close watch on the condition of our heart. When God sees that we have a dirty heart, He is not pleased with us. He desires for us to keep a clean heart, so we can have a close relationship with Him all the time. He knows that our life will not be full of love, peace, and joy if we allow our heart to get dirty and stay that way. Instead, when we see that we have an unclean heart, we need to do what David did after his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah. (Psalm 51:10) We need to confess our sins to God and ask Him to create a clean heart for us. Then, we need to ask God to renew a steadfast spirit within us. The sooner we do this, the better, and the more often we do it, the cleaner our heart will stay.

Sin produces a terrible stain on our heart. It is a stain that we can't remove. Only God can wash away the effects of sin on our innermost being. Of course, Jesus died for all of the sins of the world, once for all. Then, when we trust Him as Lord and Savior, our sins are all cleansed, past, present, and future. Please, don't think that makes your heart clean forever, though. It means we are forgiven, and receive eternal life, as one of God's children. However, when we sin after that, it stains our heart, and we have to confess the sin quickly and completely to keep a clean heart. Then, we need to ask for God to renew a steadfast spirit in us, so we can continually walk with the Lord and not give in to the temptations that would lead us to sin. Then, we can live with a clean heart and enjoy the presence of God with us all of the time.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 52-55.