Breaking A Heart of Stone – May 29, 2021

Create in me a pure heart, O God, . . . A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:10,17

Breaking A Heart of Stone

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. So goes the saying. And so it went with King David. One day his heart turned in lust to the wife of another man, and David fell hard. Not only did he commit adultery, but he also tried to cover up his sin with another sin—murder. Then he carried on as though nothing had happened, which also added to his guilt.

Looking back on his state of impenitence, David later wrote: “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3,4).

The knowledge of his sin and punishment deserved from God weighed heavily on David’s spirit. But God was merciful to him and broke his heart of stone. The Lord sent his prophet Nathan to call David to repentance, and through that call, he changed David’s heart again.

Like David, we need to have our sin-hardened hearts broken each day as we repent of our sins. And we flee to God for his mercy, his unfailing love, and his great compassion. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, God loves us and forgives us daily.

Prayer:
Let us pray with David: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Amen. (Psalm 51:10,12)