A Clean Heart

The fast few weeks the Lord has been speaking to be about Repentance; because I have been speaking to Him about Revival.  I want to know what it takes to have a move of God.

Psalm 24: 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart.

His repetitive answer to me is: Repentance.  Today He showed me what true repentance looks like using one of my children.  I picked one of my sons up a little early today and I asked him about his day.  He looked at me and tears started to well up.  Then he told me what had just happened on the playground. . .

All the boys were playing tag-football.  One of them was playing too rough and decided to “tackle” instead of “touch”.  My son was tackled and I guess in a moment of anger he said a “bad-word” that was heard by the tackler. “I didn’t mean it at him Mom; I told him I was so sorry and asked him to forgive me.” 

All the way home my son cried.  “Why did that word come out of me Mom?” 

I talked to him about God’s Word telling us that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  Sometimes when we are pressed hard ugly things come out.  That’s when we need to do what David did when he sinned against God with Bathsheba.  He prayed and cried out to God:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit”.

When we got home I asked my son to read all of that Psalm out loud.  (Psalm 51).  He cried as he read, and then he prayed.  He asked God to forgive him, and he also prayed that “the tackler” would not be offended or hold it against him.

I realized I had just witnessed TRUE REPENTANCE.  My son was grieved that he had grieved the Holy Spirit in his words.  He was grieved that he had offended his brother.  He was grieved to know that something “un-clean” could come out of his mouth.  He not only sought God’s forgiveness, but he sought the forgiveness of the one whom he had offended as well.

Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

(I wonder the “witness” his apology may have had on this other kid?)

My son took repentance to the full measure by ALSO confessing his sin to me.

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

“Lord, I want my heart to be as tender and pure before you as my sons was today.  When I know I have offended You, let my heart be grieved that I might seek out Your forgiveness immediately.  Let me not cast off the attitudes of my heart as if they are nothing.  Let me see my sin against Your holiness and allow it to move me to repentance”.

When we draw near to You through repentance, will You in turn draw near to us and revive us once again?

 

(Side note:  if you know my children I ask you not bring this up. . .I did not write it to embarrass the son in the story. . I wrote it that we might learn from a child).