Passage of the Day:
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise, Psalm 51:10-17.
Reflection:
Whenever you find yourself in bondage, held captive by an addiction or bad habit, this pattern can be demoralizing. I can recall periods of my faith journey in high school and college where I kept giving into the same sinful desire’s day after day, Romans 7:15-18. Like David’s prayer in the passage above, I was searching for answers in the form of a contrite heart. Hopeful that one day I might finally break free from my own fleshly desires.
Prayerful Action:
This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? 2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word, Isaiah 66:1-2.
Restoring Your Heart:
King Solomon mentions that pride comes before a fall on four occasions in the book of Proverbs. If an arrogant or haughty spirit is an indicator of your future, a contrite spirit is a spiritual recipe for restoring your heart. The prophet Isaiah speaks to the words of Joshua as the more individuals meditate upon the Bible, Joshua 1:8, the fear of disobeying God will become heavy on your heart. If today’s blog finds you fighting a losing battle with your flesh, Galatians 5:16-17, plead with the Lord for a contrite heart.
Song of the Day:
If God can use a storm to eventually lead Jonah to follow God’s will for his life, praying for a contrite heart is definitely possible. As Christians pursue the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 12:1-2, it’s only a matter of time before you begin to get back on track with God.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 