“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Psalm 51:10-13
I have not flown very much, but when I have been on a plane, one interesting thing I noticed was the instruction in the safety pamphlets. In case of an emergency, oxygen masks would pop out and parents were told to put their own mask on first and then help their children. At first that sounded strange to me, because most of us would want to ensure our children’s safety before our own. But, then I realized that putting your own mask on first, would keep you calm and give you the strength and ability to look after the children.
In this Psalm, David repented and sought the Lord to forgive him and to restore unto him the joy of salvation. As the king of Israel, he was in a place of prominence and if he were going to be an example to those he ruled over, he had to set the standard. Unless he had his own spirit right with God, he could not teach others the way of the Lord.
How important it is for those of us who know the Lord, to make sure that we keep in constant communion with the Lord, and that we manifest joy in our relationship with Him, so that those we encounter, will see that living for the Lord is the best way to live. If we want to teach others the way of the Lord, we must keep our lives pure, and filled with the joy of the Lord. Our relationship with the Lord, is reflected in the joy and peace we manifest to others.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your precious blood, that daily cleanses us from sin. Help us to have a right spirit and to be filled with the joy of salvation, so that others will want to know you.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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