Penitent Prayer

 Psalm 51:7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

The sin of David in our day would be considered scandalous. A man in a prominent position, a person that many hailed as a wonderful leader, succumbed to his selfish desires to take another man’s wife and commit adultery, and hired a “hitman” to have the wife’s husband killed. If such an act were done in today’s society, his popularity would have dipped to an all time low. Such a man is held to a higher standard and should be an example to those who look up to him. Yes, we all know that we are just humans that are not perfect, and make mistakes, but David not only messed up, but he willfully disobeyed the commandments of God and sinned against God. He tried to cover it up for a while, but God sent the Holy Spirit in the form of a prophet to uncover his sin. Such is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction and guilt to our hearts when we fall short of the mark and are found wanting. David was found guilty and his sin was revealed to everyone who heard the prophet Nathan. David was a man after God’s own heart, and his guilt brought him to his knees. Unlike Saul, the former king,  he made no excuses for his actions and took full responsibility. Forgiveness comes from God and God alone. Man can forgive, but it does not bring complete healing of the heart. The penitent prayer of David and God’s forgiveness reminds us that God is merciful. He desires that we don’t continue in sin, but He is faithful and just to forgive us of our failures. He will wash us, and make us clean, whiter than snow. Restore us back to Him.

Kick Against the Pricks

 Acts. 9:5

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

“To kick against the pricks” is an idiom that implies the fruitlessness of resisting authority or truth. Saul (Paul) on his way to Damascus, encounters his resistance (Jesus). He came face to face with God, and try as he might he could no longer resist that inner voice that no doubt was speaking to him since the day he witnessed the death of Stephen. The Holy Spirit had arrested Paul with convictions, and Paul finally quit resisting and yielded his heart to Jesus. It is difficult to resist the prodding of the Holy Spirit when He convicts the heart of sin. When people do so, they only bring more hurt to themselves. God will use every means to bring others to the light. He will not force submission, but in His faithfulness, He will continue to “prick” to show others the way to go to find true peace. Let us not “kick” against the moving of God, but let us yield to His will and let Him have complete control of our lives.

Whom I Believe

2 Tim. 1:12 But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. (ESV)

In a world that is no friend to grace, it is tempting to fear what others may think or how they may treat you. To stand firm in a secular world view, one must know with conviction what they believe and to whom they believe in. We hold a trust, a treasure of faith within us. Jesus Christ, a treasure more precious than gold.  The Holy Spirit who dwells within us gives us the power to keep that which we have obtained through faith. The Christian world view is being attacked, and many of the truths that we stand for not politically correct. As the day grows closer to the return of Christ, it becomes more imperative that we don’t stray from God’s word. The Holy Spirit is our guide as He leads us into truth and to stay true to sound doctrine and what is right. 

The Work of the Holy Spirit

John 16:8 “And when He is come, He will reprove the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment:”-

Man left to its own self desires seeks that which will gratify the appetites of the flesh. Christ came that we may overcome the flesh, showing us how we should live in this present world. He came to earth and fulfilled His mission. He died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life. He ascended to the Father and the promise of the Father was sent to the world. Through the Holy Spirit, conviction would grip the hearts of people. The work of the Holy Spirit to to reprimand and reveal the sinful condition of man. The Holy Spirit often works through believers to show the world that sin is wrong and God wants to save people from sin and led them in paths of righteousness. As we yield our hearts to God, the Holy Spirit begins to show us how to live a life of holiness. His work is to guide us into all truth. It is not our responsibility to condemn the world, God will have the last say and will be the ultimate judge of man’s heart. The purpose of revealing sin in the life of people is not to condemn, but to show that they need a Savior to save them from a life of sin. As vessel of God, the Holy Spirit works through us to show the world in compassion that we all have sinned and are not able to save ourselves. That God so loved the world that He gave His Son to save us from sin. As we pray for those in our sphere of influence, the Holy Spirit is faithful to reprove sin and show them what is right. Let us always pray and leave the work of the Holy Spirit to convict and direct others to Christ. Instead of judging, let us pray that Holy Spirit conviction will seize the hearts of unbelievers.