Stripping Away the Layers
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 51:12 (NLT)
A few years ago, I became interested in furniture restoration. I marvelled at how old, beat-up furniture pieces were restored and given a new lease on life. I noticed that the restoration process always began with stripping or sanding off the old layers. This is an important step. If new paint or stain is applied over the old layer, it will not stick, causing cracking or peeling. The furniture piece will look good for a while, but will soon start revealing some flaws.
Sometimes we feel like these old, beat-up pieces of furniture. Our souls feel weary and in need of restoration. But what if our souls have become weary because of our own sinful behaviour? What if God wants to purify our hearts from the things that cause us to sin? What if God wants to strip away the old layers around our hearts that are causing us to sin? The Bible says we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard, His moral perfection. But God, in His lovingkindness, made a way for us (Romans 3:23-24).
Conviction & Cleansing
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been saved by His amazing grace, but that does not mean that we are not prone to harbour sin in our hearts or display sinful behaviour. When this happens, and we are walking in step with Holy Spirit, He will nudge us and convict us of our sins. God may even bring people into our lives to gently show us “the error of our ways.” This is what happened to David. God used the prophet Nathan to convict him of his sinful behaviour when He had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba and when he tried to cover up his affair by arranging for her husband to die on the battlefield.
In Psalm 51, David repents and pleads with His merciful and compassionate God to blot out his sins and to forgive him. He pleads with God to cleanse his heart and to purify his lips.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10-11 (NKJV)
He pleads with Him not to remove His presence from him or take away His Holy Spirit, His guide who will lead him away from sin to a moral lifestyle (Psalm 51:11)
We may not have sinned the way David did. However, each day we face situations that may tempt us to fall into sinful behaviour. We may be tempted to gossip about others, take something “small” from our workplace, be unkind, cheat on an exam or intentionally or unintentionally abuse others. When we fall into these traps, we can go to the Lord with our broken, repentant heart. He will not turn us away. He will forgive us, strip away the old layer around our heart and restore the joy of His salvation.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:11 (NLT)
Reflection:
Are there things you are harbouring in your heart or have done or are doing that are not pleasing to God?
Prayer:
Lord, I come to You with a broken and repentant heart. Forgive me, Lord, for the things I’ve harboured in my heart or have done that displeases You. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Create in me a clean heart. Restore me to newness of life. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen.
