A Dark Time and A Dark Night Part 2

Psalm 51
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In Psalm 51 David has experienced a Dark Time and a Dark Night (See previous post).

Here in verse 10, David is crying out to God.  He says “Create in me a clean heart”.  David knew his heart wasn’t right because he had taken a man’s wife.  Not only had he taken a man’s wife, he had his military leader Joab to put the man on the front lines and had him killed.  I mean he did that, but here we see him asking God to create within him a clean heart.  Then he asks God to “renew the right spirit within me”.  That’s what we have to do; we have to pray and ask God as it says in Psalm 139:23 “Search me O God and know my heart”.  That’s what each of us should do from time to time, if not every day.

David knew he had messed up and he is crying out to God: 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.

You see God is not concerned with our intellect.  He’s not concerned with our physical stature.  He’s not concerned with these other things that we may possess.  He’s concerned with our heart.

David asks God to restore the things that sin had taken away:
David asks God to cleanse his heart.
David asks God to renew his spirit.
David asks God not to cast him from the presence of God.
David asks God not to take His Holy Spirit from him.
David asks God to restore unto him joy.

Sin costs, sin takes away, but God can restore.

I pray regularly for God to search my heart and ask forgiveness for anything in my heart that I have not asked forgiveness for.  There were times when I was praying and God brought up things that happened thirty years ago.  God will bring up that thing and I’ll ask Him to forgive me for it.  Some people say well that was back then; that was back when you were in the world.  He was sustaining me back then, so I can confess this now.  I know better now.  Now I know right from wrong, as David knew.

In the 13th verse David says I will teach transgressors your way.  He tells God I’m going to teach and tell others what is right.  

In other words I’m going to become a witness for you Lord.  If you forgive me, if you restore me, if you cleanse me, I’m going to become a witness for you.  I’m going to tell others Your Way.

When you look at the life of David and the sin that he committed, a great sin, people say well, David did those things and God forgave David, so He’ll forgive me.  Let me tell you something - I say, why do you think those things were put there in the scriptures?  They were put there so we would not do them!  The bible, even David himself, warns us not to do those things. 

Praise God, He does forgive, and He does restore.

If you are in the midst of your dark time remember this, as David said, joy comes in the morning.  Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

I can only imagine when David got that relief. I can only imagine him shouting when he was able to sense and feel God’s presence again. I would rather be in the presence of God than anywhere in this world.
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When darkness surrounds us, if we have sinned, we can ask forgiveness. And no matter what, we can ask God to restore our joy.  God will hear us, and we can thank Him for giving us His marvelous Light.
~J. T.