Sunday afternoon, as I was writing the devotion I sent out yesterday, I looked up Psalm 51 because I wanted to use one of the verses in the devotion. David wrote that song about the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. David came face to face with his sin and realized that not only had he sin against Bethsheba and her husband Uriah (by having him sent to the front lines to be killed in battle), but he sinned against God.
He admitted his sin before God “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.” [Psalm 51:4 NLT]
As I usually do, I read the quote in context. Then I came to David’s plea for restoration. “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.” [vs 10-12 NLT]
I had asked God that very morning in church to cleanse my heart. I wasn’t paying attention during worship, but instead my eyes were roaming the room, and my focus was far from worship. I was singing but paying little attention to the words … and far less attention to my LORD.
Anyone looking at me would have thought I was totally engaged. Unfortunately, God wasn’t too impressed with my outward engagement, He was looking at my heart and it was anything but engaged. And suddenly, I knew that. So I prayed, “LORD, create in me a pure heart!” And I turned my attention fully to Him. Oh the blessings of godly sorrow.
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted.” [2Corinthians 7:10 NKJV]
