“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10
If you listen close to news commentators, talk show hosts or political leaders, you'll be surprised how similar their approaches are to describing and resolving the challenges of our world. While their message and application may be strikingly different, even polar opposites, their overall message remains the same. They believe that the answer to society's woes can be solved by wealth, legislation or education.
They either try to throw money at the problem (wealth), pass new laws to accomplish their mission (legislation) or stress the importance of carefully planned schools (education). At times, their solutions sound impressive. But when you dig deeper into the problem, you find that they aren't addressing the main issue.
You see, the problems plaguing our world are caused by sin. It is a spiritual problem. Spiritual problems cannot be solved by worldly means. Let me give you an example. How do we stop school violence? By banning guns? By helping those with mental or emotional problems? By passing legislation making prison sentences tougher? While each may seem to have merit to their supporters, it doesn't change the problem, does it? If you take away guns, it won't stop violence. Criminals will find ways of finding a weapon that will accomplish their goal. Monitoring potential mental and emotional problems won't stop crime either. Many crimes are created by smart, stable people. Longer prison sentences won't stop violence either. It hasn't up till now.
While there are cases of mentally and emotionally disturbed criminals, the real issue is a matter of the heart. Violence occurs because of wicked men. Sinful, depraved hearts are the cause of violence and other crimes. Sin is the issue. You'll not hear Republicans or Democrats speak of this at a convention. News commentators are clueless about this because they are deceived and have sinful hearts, too.
Although it makes most people cringe to hear it, the problem is sin and the answer is Jesus.
King David committed adultery. When his cover-up attempts failed, he resorted to a deceptive way of disposing of his problem. When he was confronted about his wickedness, David confessed his sins and repented. Psalm 51 is his psalm of repentance. In this prayer, David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” David recognized that changes were needed. He didn't need new advisors. Neither did he need more servants. He didn't even need a better set of circumstances. He needed a new heart.
Most of the time, we seek for changes around us, but few look within. Until a man's heart is changed, he is in deep trouble. David looked within and saw a sinful, dirty heart. He looked within --- but then he looked up. The change he needed wouldn't come through self-reform or self-improvement. He needed a change that only God could provide.
Americans tend to seek immediate solutions. We like quick action. We want things to improve overnight. This often leads to a band-aid approach to our problems. When a person realizes he needs a new heart, it is obvious that a band-aid won't help. Massive change is required.
Thankfully, God is in the business of heart transplants. He has an impeccable record of changing lives. He always does this by changing the heart of the individual.
The Great Physician is a heart specialist. He performs open-heart surgery daily. Desperate, dying people have sought His care and found Him to be more than adequate for their need. He does surgery without anesthesiology or even opening the chest cavity. Many can testify that He changes a person's life by removing a heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh. This Surgeon has never lost a case. Furthermore, He never charges for His services. The cost has already been paid at Calvary.
If your heart is not right with God, you don't need superficial solutions. You need a supernatural miracle. The good news is that God specializes in miracles.
The Great Physician's office is open right now. He is taking new patients. Your heart may be filled with anger, lust, jealousy and selfishness. You need more than an improvement. You need a change of heart. Bring your condition to Him. Lay your case bare before Him. Submit to His treatment.
He can create a new heart in you today.
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