Create and Renew

   "Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit."  [Psalms 51: 9-12]

Sometimes we take the kernel out without realizing the significance of the verses pre and post the kernel. I chose only 1 before and 2 after the verse 10 but see how it expands the thought. Hide and blot begin the plea. We know that God knows when we have transgressed His law and purposes. He knew it before (?) or at least during our act. It's impossible to hide what we did/said or didn't do/say. So we come to ask that He hide and blot out our sins and iniquities. As a Christian I rely heavily on 1 John 1:9. But again... look at the verses before the answer in verse 9.

   " If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness [of sin], we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.] If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us." [1 John 1:6 -10]

It's like the verses book end. Verses 6-8, punctuated by 10 tell us probably what we already know. But 9 reveals what we receive when we act according to His principles. I doubt seriously that He ever expects perfection out of us, I don't believe He is surprised when we slip, fall, believe the lie, purposely lash out, SIN. But I do believe He is disappointed when we don't seek restoration and forgiveness from our wrongs. The Father has provided for EVERY situation and continues to provide how we can restore the gift we received when we made Jesus our Lord - we receive relationship.

Do we really want the Lord to 'create' a new heart in us?  How about 'renewing' a right and steadfast spirit within me? Are we willing to pay the price for this to occur. For that matter, are we willing to pay the price if we don't? Is relationship important to us? 

Are we a willing spirit? We have free will, we were born with it just like the sin nature. I sometimes think that we have free will because the Father wanted us to make our decision, our choices freely - not coerced or tricked or misled. He wanted us to want Him, to choose Him freely. The devil, on the other hand only uses deceit and trickery remember the scripture that defines this: 

   "Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]" [1 Peter 5: 7-8]

Why anyone would ever follow someone/something that there only object was to place you in harm defies understanding... yet there are those that do. Our choice is to follow such as that or follow the one that says:

   "I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His [own] life for the sheep." [John 10:10b-11]

No wonder that the Psalmist wrote, "Create in me a clean heart..." We can't do it alone nor do we have to because we have one that walks with us who is more than able.