“Create in me a clean heart, O God.” (Psalm 51:10)

You may recall that this verse was the focal point of the DWOD for March 02.

Yet, as I read it again today during our observance of the 40 Day Joel 2 Fast, the Holy Spirit highlighted one word.

“Clean.”

“Tahowr” is the Hebrew word that is translated “clean” in this verse.

For the most part, this word is used in the Bible to describe either pure gold (Exodus 25:11) or ritual purity (Leviticus 7:19)

The New International Version translates the word: “pure.”

A Clean Heart.

A Pure Heart.

This is what David longs for.

As we saw in the DWOD two days ago, David realized that only God could CREATE such a heart. He could not manufacture one on his own.

Today, however, we focus on why it is important to possess a clean/pure heart.

Jesus gives us the main reason in the Beatitudes.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

Paul states the same thought in Ephesians 5:5: “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

Some translations use the word “impure” rather than “unclean.”

Either way, the message is the same, isn’t it?

The purity of our heart determines the clarity with which we see God.

The cleaner the condition of our heart, the clearer the vision of our God.

Needless to say, David wanted to be in a place where he would always be able to see God clearly.

That is why he prays: “Create in me a clean/pure heart, O God.”

Scripture also gives us a second reason why it is necessary to have such a heart.

“To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.” (Titus 1:15)

The condition of our heart also affects how our vision of one another.

An impure heart sees others differently than a pure heart.

You may be familiar with the story of a young couple who moved into a new neighbourhood.

Every time her neighbour hung her wash out on the clothesline, the wife would turn to her husband and say:

“That laundry’s not clean! Someone should teach that woman how to get clothes clean in the wash!”

Her husband would simply sit there and smile.

A few days later, she was surprised to see a nice, clean wash hanging in her neighbour’s yard when she looked out the window.

She called her husband over and said: “Did you see that? Thank God she finally learned how to get her wash clean. I wonder how this change came about!”

“Well, dear”, her husband replied:  “I know exactly how.  You see, I got up early this morning and washed our window!”

The state of our heart determines the state of the window through which we view God and one another.

Are you able to see God with clarity?

Do you view your “neighbhour” with purity?

Check the condition of your heart.

If it is not clean/pure as it ought to be, perhaps, will you pray with me and King David?

“Create in me a clean/pure heart, O God.”