Promised Renewal

Scripture:  Psalms 51:10 - “…and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  

Have you ever felt suddenly overcome by a sense of your spiritual shortcomings, or a sense of stagnation?  It may not arise from some specific sin, as in the account of King David’s transgressions with Bathsheba, or even from some sin of omission.  I am referring to an earnest longing to be more of the person that the Lord God saved us to be, in light of the Savior’s incomparable love for us, despite those many shortcomings.

In light of these reflections in my own heart, I prayed recently:  ‘Dear Abba:  intensify my yearning to be everything that You saved me to be!  (Phil. 1:6 promises that You will!)  I know and confess that there is much self-centeredness and more revisiting of the past of which I need to immediately and forever cease and desist!  In light of Psalm 139:1-6, I know that I am not informing you of anything about who I am or what I am like, or where I am in my walk with Your Son.  Given these truths, my Lord, help me to CHOOSE every day to love others as You love them, as You love even me—not lingering a whit on their faults or shortcomings, not dwelling nearly as much as I do on the opposite of things true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, of virtue, and things worthy of praise!  (Philippians 4:8)

Oh, Lord, if we who profess to know Christ as our Lord and Savior would continuously CHOOSE to pursue virtue (i.e., moral excellence and goodness) as intensely as we do so many other LESSER things, then this chaotic and lost sea of humanity might better see what a close relationship with the Prince of Peace looks like—in us!

Prayer:  Dear Abba, we praise You for Your Spirit’s presence and renewing power within us who’ve been purchased by the blood of Your Son and are called “redeemed.”  May we, Your saved people, ever heed Your prompting to daily examine ourselves, and out of pure love and loyalty to You, repent of any attitudes, habits, or manner of speech which grieves You and denies Your lordship. In Jesus’ blessed name—Amen!

(By Denise Diggs)