Clean Hearts

A dead pine tree stands at the edge of the pond in stark contrast to the surrounding trees. You see, this tree stands stripped of its bark and pine needles, the heart of the tree itself white as if it’s been bleached by the sun.

While I sat outside contemplating this naked tree, I was reminded of how God sees us. He sees us without the trappings of the world. He sees directly into our hearts. In fact, we read in Proverbs 21:2, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”

So, what exactly does it mean to ponder? Webster’s Dictionary tells us that to ponder means (1) to weigh in the mind: appraise and (2) to think about: reflect on. That’s a scary thought for me! Do I really want God to appraise or reflect on what’s on my heart? As much as I desire a heart that God can look upon without grimacing, I will never have it apart from Him. Jeremiah 17:9 confirms it: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

“A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” David prayed this in Psalm 51:17, He begged God to accept his broken and shattered heart as his sacrifice. If we follow David’s example and sincerely offer our broken, dirty and deceitful heart to Jesus, He will be faithful to accept our sacrifice and wipe our hearts clean.

In closing, I invite you to pray the following with me today:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10