Create in me a clean heart -- by Mary Denise Curran
/Through the Word of God Community, we have experienced a people, chosen by God. We are blessed beyond measure to have friends who know the Lord and seek to follow Him all of the days of their lives. Through the spirit of friendship, “koinonia” … (a word I heard for the first time in a Word of God teaching given by Peter Williamson), I have glimpsed the hind’s feet on high places and been touched by the Presence of God. I pray that every member of the Community past and present be touched by the Fire that has blazed through the heart and soul of the Community to Vince and me. It’s eternal, Life-giving Life-sustaining. When we arrived in Michigan in 1997, fourteen years ago, we had no idea of what the Lord had in store for us. That’s a story for another day. Seven glorious years later of living and learning how to flourish and thrive and to live Life in the Spirit, we returned home. While living in your midst, we learned that we needed to be pruned, stripped, changed, healed, die to ourselves and trust God. We also learned that we needed to be revived, brought back to life and cared for by God Himself so that we could learn how to do things God’s Way. We needed to learn to turn to God in all things we needed to learn to be humble before our God if we hoped to receive the miracles that God desires for us. Psalm 51 describes so well what God desires for each of us and how to receive what God desires to give us. Our sacrifice is a broken spirit…a broken humbled heart. God hears us when we come before Him, take responsibility for what we have done or failed to do and throw ourselves on God’s Mercy. As I read, I realized that each line has come to life for us as we have learned to live Life in the Spirit. “Create in me a clean heart” are the words of the Curran family crest. I include most of Psalm 51 because of the Power that flows through them. God desires to restore His Life within us …no matter how we have sinned. TRUE LOVE, the nature and essence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit loves us back to life…if we open ourselves and let them in.
Psalm 51 Verses 1-19
A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him after his affair with Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense. Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my offense; my sin is always before me. Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in your sight
That you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn. True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
Still, you insist on sincerity of heart; in my inmost being teach me wisdom. Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, make me whiter than snow.
Let me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my guilt.
A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.
Do not drive me from your presence, nor take from me your holy spirit.
Restore my joy in your salvation; sustain in me a willing spirit. I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.
Rescue me from death, God, my saving God, that my tongue may praise your healing power.
Lord, open my lips; my mouth will proclaim your praise.
For you do not desire sacrifice; a burnt offering you would not accept.
My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.
GLORY to God!
Mary Denise