“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 NIV
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/psa.51.10.niv
Isn’t it amazing how God can speak to you and I, and confirm His presence in our life!
On my phone, I receive daily devotion scriptures to remind me of God’s Word. Well today’s scripture focused on having a pure heart and being steadfast in the Word of God. So, as I read the verse for today, I began to think about what a clean heart is and how my heart seems to carry a lot of burdens. Then I looked up the definition of clean, pure, and steadfast because educating myself toward each meaning would help me to understand the condition my heart needs to be in for a steadfast Spirit.
“Clean” means free from dirt, foreign or extraneous matter, pollution, irregularity (dictionary.com)
“Pure” means free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind, extraneous matter, foreign elements (dictionary.com)
“Steadfast” means fixed in direction, firm in a purpose, unwavering, firmly established (dictionary.com)
After pondering these two definitions, I decided to read my daily devotion for today and guess what? The devotion focused on human hearts!
“Can you say God is in the House!”
So, as I read and reflected on the devotion, it compared the human heart to soil. Yes dirt!!!
Our heart is like a feeding ground and the ideas, thoughts, and attitudes we entertain impact the condition of our heart.
Now, as we live in a world that knows good and evil (Genesis 2:17; 3:22 NIV) our heart can develop weeds of negativity, corruption, selfishness, malice, bitterness, hurt, etc. And, as humans we do not have the ability to free our heart from this chaos. We can only be freed by the presence, touch, and work of our Almighty God!
So, as the devotion enlighten me to this factor, I then redirected my thoughts back to today’s verse! “Create in me a pure heart and steadfast spirit (Psalm 51:10 NIV).
And, what came to mind is:
- You cannot have a steadfast spirit without a pure, clean heart!
- We are all subject to the evil of this world, so our heart is vulnerable!
- A heart that is hard, dry, and hopeless cannot remain steadfast, joyful, kind, loving, peaceful, gentle, or transformed.
- The only way to be a steadfast spirit and the soil of your heart to fertilized and nurtured is by the Word and Presence of God!
So, I leave with you a parable spoken by Jesus Christ to reflect on the condition and the soil of your heart!
Luke 8: 4-15 NIV
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
Luke 8:5-8, 10-15 NIV
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/luk.8.5-8,10-15.niv
May God’s presence and Word heal your heart creating a steadfast spirit!
In Jesus Christ name, Amen ~