“Restoration”

Psalm 51:10, 12
Created in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. (NKJV)

The human heart is indeed where evil begins (Matthew 15:19). For sin travels from the heart to the mind and from the mind we decide to take action. Every living person has allowed their flawed and sinful heart to drag them into sin; maybe not the physical adultery and murder as in the case of David, but we sin nevertheless and many have and will commit adultery or murder in their minds. It is not hard for a true and faithful Christian to understand how shame filled and guilty David was for this terrible sin against God, because he was, after all, a man after God’s own heart; specially chosen by God to be Israel’s King (Acts 13:22) in the family lineage with whom our Lord Jesus Christ was to be borne. David’s sin is a clear warning for all of God’s people; even those who believe they are too strong in their faith to fall, because we all have moments when our guard is down, thus leaving a window ajar just enough for the Enemy to sneak in and take advantage of the weaknesses found in our sinful hearts (1 Peter 5:8). But because we are saved by the grace of God and are going through the sanctification process, we can be confident that our merciful and gracious God will hear our repentant cry’s for restoration whenever we fall short of His standard for our lives. It is because we humbly cry out that our righteous and just God is both able and willing to create within us a new heart—something we are unable to accomplish for ourselves—for only God can create a new heart. Our Omnipotent Creator knows that if our old sinful heart is not rectified, the rest of our human nature will follow suit and go astray as well. The heart is the rudder of the soul, my friends, and unless the Lord takes it into His loving and restoring hands, we can be sure that the evil in our hearts will steer us off course so that we may never find our way Home. We must humbly remember that only God can remove evil from the heart and renew our guilt stricken spirit. It is possible that anyone can lose the joy they once had in the Lord’s salvation because of sin, but through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit our joy can be restored and maintained. Our incredibly gracious God does all these things not only for His glory, but for the repentant sinners benefit as well. Our Creator delights in His creation and one day He promises to renew it all so that people everywhere who have received His gift of salvation with a repentant heart will be able to live with Him forever (Revelation 21:1).

A Whisper of Hope

My grace is always sufficient…For neither your will nor your strength is a match for the dark world in which you live. You are borne with deceit and evil in your heart and if gone unchecked will lead you into eternal darkness. It is only by My Omnipotence that you can receive a new heart, and it is because of My loving nature and abundant mercy and grace that you can be saved from the wrath of God’s anger.

Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. (NASB)

Acts 13:22
He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony
and said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart,
who will do all My will.” (NKJV)

1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the Devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (NASB)