Psalm 51:10-12 (CEB)

10 Create a clean heart for me, God;
    put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!
11 Please don’t throw me out of your presence;
    please don’t take your holy spirit away from me.
12 Return the joy of your salvation to me
    and sustain me with a willing spirit.


Reflection

Sometimes I can be stubborn. When I’ve been too embarrassed or proud to ask for help, I usually end up in a tough spot. I tried discerning my call by myself, tried taking care of two sick parents by myself – no dice. It doesn’t work. It may appear to work for a while, even to myself, but it ultimately hits a roadblock. The worst is when people offer compliments for how well I’m handling a difficult situation; I then almost feel a responsibility in not asking for help, like I’d be letting them down by showing that it’s too much.

In the well-loved hymn, Come Thou Font of Every Blessing, there’s a verse that hits me every time I hear it:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; 
Prone to leave the God I love: 
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it; 
With thy Spirit from above.

It feels very reminiscent of today’s psalm text: this idea that though we may wander away from God or act as though we can do things without God, ultimately we need God in everything we do.

“Create a clean heart for me, God…” is the plea of someone who tried to go about life by themselves, without asking God to join. We can’t do it alone, not without God! Not without the many ways God works through others! We must ask God for help. God wants us to have joy, God wants to be part of the decision-making process – we just have turn towards God and choose to have God be a part of our day.

By Rachel Callender


For Pondering & Prayer

What in your life have you yet to invite God into? Where can you include God?

Prayer: Holy Lord, You have given us so much, yet we continue to exclude you. Forgive us. Put a clean heart in us, renew our spirits, sustain us as we navigate the good and the bad in our lives. Remind us that we don’t have to do this alone. Amen.