Need A Refresh?

Years ago, when I had a decorative painting business, I got a call to go work at the home of a pastor in a nearby town.  This man and his wife were some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Their love of the Lord and people drew me to them.  Needless to say, It was pure joy working for them.  As the years went by, I got to hear this pastor speak several times and one thing he always said at the end was, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” From Psalms 51:10 KNJV.  What a beautiful verse and what a wonderful quick prayer. 

Don’t we all need to take a shower, clean up our surroundings, wash our clothes and even take a vacation once in a while to refresh us?  Why wouldn’t we also surmise that our mind and spirit would need some refreshing too?  We are bombarded every day, and yes, we deal with it, and some even give it to God, but do we ask God to renew us? Do we ask Him to clean up our spirit, our mind; remove our frustrations, disappointments and regrets? These are not necessarily sins, but they drag us down nevertheless.

This verse is so beautiful but it goes on to say:  Psalm 51:11 KJV Cast me not away from the presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy ways.

From a different version: Psalm 51:10-12 NIV Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit withing 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.

Do you suppose what God sees in our hearts is sometimes offensive to Him?  When we pick up dirty smelly clothes, we can’t wait to cast them aside or throw them in the washer to be cleaned and made pure again.  Don’t you suppose God wants to help us clean out the dirty closets of our mind?  Maybe those thoughts have crept into our hearts and are beginning to change us.  So how perfect are these verses?  They are like a reset button, but the button is in God’s hands.

In the verse we are asking the Lord to cleanse us: create in us a clean heart. Then we ask Him to renew and refresh us.  So next, our contrite heart must repent and ask the Lord to not cast us aside from Him nor remove the Holy Spirit from us.  Finally, we ask the Holy one that loves us more than anyone ever could, to restore to us that wonderful joy of our salvation and give us that willing spirit to obey, study and pray as we should.  How beautiful.  How refreshing, cleansing, life changing and life giving this can be.  Just like our clean clothes, they look great and smell clean and we are happy to go on with life wearing them once more.

Will we pray this Psalm and mean it?  It’s a choice to stay in dirty bodies and dirty clothes or take the steps necessary to clean up.  It’s the same with our mind and our spirit it’s another choice.  It’s probably time for a refresh.  Actually, it is something we need to do often because we get pretty dirty living in this world.  It can’t be helped. I believe that if we add this Psalms to our prayers, we will be refreshed and feel so much better.

What a blessing to hear that Pastor say it every time he spoke.  It became like a salutation he used.  He knew how important it was, and from the way he lived his life, and the joy he shared with others, refreshing his spirit worked miracles for him and his wife.  Don’t we all need a miracle?   Don’t we all need to be refreshed?  Everything about us will be better because of it.

Prayer

Lord, create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us.  Forgive us Lord and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and give us a willing and steadfast spirit to desire your presence and your wisdom.  Thank you for loving us so much Lord, you are a good, good father!  In Jesus’ name, amen.

God Bless

Sally