A Clean Heart

“God is looking for a broken and contrite heart. From there, He is desiring our restoration.” - Kathy Spampinato

King David is famous for slaying Goliath as a mighty warrior, and for writing many of the Psalms. He shared what was going on in his head and heart. God actually testifies of David's attitude and his honesty. The Bible commends him.

Acts 13:21-23 ESV states, "Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. And when he had removed him, he (God) raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.' Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised."

King David turned to God with all his heart, becoming a godly example and trying to rule his people with wisdom and character. He was not perfect by any means, but he gives us an example of how to pursue God's ways, repent of our wrongdoing, and humbly turn to the Lord as our source of life and strength, again and again. Let's take a look at some of the things written by or about David, so we can observe his attitude and his perseverance.

Psalm 51:1 - 4 "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgement."

David did not try and pretend that he was guiltless and that everything was fine. He knew he needed God to blot out his sins and he readily admitted that he needed God. He recognized that he was sinning against God and His law, and that others were harmed by it. David realized that his own nature was directed towards selfish gain and self-protection. He had seen a beautiful woman bathing on a rooftop, was attracted to her, and took advantage of her because he could. We do not know if Bathsheba was a very willing partner, if she felt pressure to cooperate with the King, or if she was raped against her will. Regardless, at that moment, David was taking advantage of his God-given position and authority to fulfill his own desires without thought to the consequences.

When Bathsheba becomes pregnant David tries to cover over his wrongdoing and hide his guilt. He manipulates Bathsheba's husband onto the front lines of battle, specifically so that he would be killed. Then he takes Bathsheba as his own wife, and the manner of her pregnancy was hidden. God knows exactly what has happened, but David was not really listening to his conscience, and he rationalized his own behavior, thinking he had fixed the situation. This is a very human person, but he is also the man that is after God's heart.

In 2 Samuel 12 God sends Nathan the prophet to expose the problem to David, and make him understand the seriousness of what he has done. Nathan tells him a story about a poor man who had a beloved little lamb that was precious to him. In the story, the lamb was taken by a rich man and killed to prepare a fancy meal for a guest. David was outraged by this story.

2 Samuel 12:5-7,9a 'Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight?"

This was the moment when true repentance struck David's heart. This story, and the tragic death of the baby, caused David to recognize his own sinfulness. He repented and turned back to God in humility and honestly. He threw himself on God's mercy. The words he penned in Psalm 51 are not just nice sounding poetry. They are the cry of a broken man who acknowledges his need for forgiveness and restoration. His dependance on God is real. His understanding of his own weakness is humbling. Let's take a look at a few other verses, as we admit that we too need to humbly approach the Lord for forgiveness. We too need to rely on God and build restoration into our life and into our relationship with God. We must determine to live in self-awareness and admit our own weakness. We need to develop a heart after God's own heart, and be willing to follow and obey Him.

Psalm 51: 6-13, 17 "Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

God is looking for a broken and contrite heart. From there, He is desiring our restoration. The Lord is looking for honesty, and the willingness to humble ourselves. Then, we have great hope of growing in wisdom and strength as we learn to serve a living Savior. Let's choose to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God so He can exalt us at the proper time. (from 1 Peter 5:6)