Create in me a clean heart, oh God.
If you've ever set foot in a Junior High Sunday School you have heard this classic song. It's a staple in many youth groups, and in some cases, even a Sunday service at what youth groupers at my church call "big church". It comes from a verse in the book of Psalms. Psalm 51: 10-12.
Song:
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me, the joy of thy salvation, and renew a right spirit within me.
Verse:
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Pretty darn close, wouldn't you say? Singing this song was always one of my favorites, and it was probably one of the first church songs I memorized. I always felt like God was moving in me when I would sing it. I would lift my hands gently and my waist and just give everything I have to God, because I knew that it wasn't too much for Him to handle, but it was far too much for me. I have always felt like this is just one of those songs where God is looking right at me and saying "just let me have it", and I always feel so restored after it's over. Maybe I should sing it every morning, it'd make my days bright and shiny all the time...
But what if having a "pure" or "clean" heart, isn't what your heart needs. What if your heart needs something else? Couldn't you change the words for what you think your heart is really missing? Absolutely! Make that first sentence a fill in the blank and put whatever you need there. Maybe you struggle with waiting and need a patient heart. Maybe you are holding a grudge towards someone and need a forgiving heart. Maybe you are struggling with depression and hurting over things that have happened and need a healed heart. Whatever your heart needs is what God wants to give you! He wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and He wants your heart to be FULL of His love. But if your heart is missing something like forgiveness, healing, patience, or like my journey started with, Hope, maybe you should ask for it and see if He can guide you to that. I know that He can, because He has with me.
There is an album by a Christian artist called "Show Me The Way To Your Heart", and whether you've listened to it or not, the title is all you need. God's heart is not missing anything. It is full and open and has the capacity to love all things. Maybe we need to read the title of this album, listen to it over and over and over again until our hearts are FULL of everything they are missing. Find Bible verses that tell you what God thinks about whatever your heart is missing. Grab a great Study Bible and look up whatever you need- forgiveness (Luke 6:37), love (1 Corinthians 13:4), hope (Romans 5:1-5), kindness (Micah 6:8 or Hosea 11:4), whatever the case may be. Find it, learn it, and make that patch in your heart stick. You may have lots of places that need healing, you may have a lot missing from your heart. But nothing is too big for God to handle, no pain is too big for Him to fix. Ask and ye shall receive! Get that heart flowing with the love of God and make those stitches hold forever!
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