Restoration

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Scripture:

Psalms 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.

Observation:

This is the cry of King David after he had a massive failure in his life. He sinned against God and against Uriah and Bathsheba. Now, he comes to the realization that what he has done is something devastating and he humbles himself before God and asks for forgiveness. 

Somehow this one who was a man after God’s own heart, had wandered away. Maybe he got too busy leading the kingdom, but his heart had become distant from God and so he acted out of selfishness. He knew that the way back had to include work on his heart. His heart needed to be cleansed, and then he needed an infilling of a new and right spirit. Only in this way could he be restored to his relationship with God and with others. 

Application:

Last evening I had the privilege of dining with some wonderful followers of Jesus Christ. Over dinner they shared their stories and about the amazing work of the Holy Spirit to transform their lives. They had tried other churches but had always been told that no matter what, they’d keep on sinning, or would need to simply accept the fact that there would be no victory over their addictions. But then they heard about entire sanctification and their lives were completely transformed. They learned the joy of a cleansed heart and a new and right spirit within their lives.

Today, both of these individuals are church planters, sharing this same news with others so that they, too, can help to bring about restoration. This is what we all need — restoration in the image of God. All of this, possible, no matter where life has taken us! We can be cleaned up and filled up, restored in the image of God. That is exciting news.

We are encouraged to join with David in a prayer of repentance, confessing our sins and our weaknesses to God. It is in our weaknesses that God is strong. The Spirit fills up our most vulnerable wounds with the sweet anointing oil of healing. 

A clean heart is created when the Spirit is as work. The impurities of the past can be entirely removed and a new victorious life, where we do not have to sin every day, is available. Suddenly we are motivated by a new and right spirit, and we are restored in God’s image. 

Prayer:


Lord, we rejoice in the promise of restoration. When we meditate; upon this fact, we are overwhelmed at the opportunities you have provided. Amen. 

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