Heart Cleaning

24 Monday Jan 2022

Tags

hygiene, pure heart, sin, spiritual health

Reading: Psalm 51:10-19
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar (NIV).*

Winter stream — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I just had my morning shower. Nothing special about that—daily showers are the social norm. But they haven’t always been the norm. Step back a century and the weekly bath was the norm. Step back a thousand years and a bath was an annual event. With this lack of personal hygiene is it any wonder epidemics ran rampant through the medieval population, and diseases like smallpox and the bubonic plague killed millions in Europe?

As a society we have embraced the concept and practice of personal hygiene. But what about spiritual hygiene? Have we embraced that as well? I fear the opposite is true. Are we routinely plunging into the deep end of a cesspool of sin? Do we mistakenly believe there are no consequences? A filthy spirit can be as deadly as bubonic plague. A host of mental, emotional and social problems are a direct result of poor spiritual hygiene. Cleanse your heart and mind and you will walk in spiritual health.

From his own cesspool of sin David cried out: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

I don’t know about you, but daily I need to bathe in Christ’s love and forgiveness. He cleans me up.

Response: LORD God, thank you for the forgiveness you purchased for me through the shed blood of Jesus your son. I acknowledge my need for your cleansing power. Amen.

Your Turn: How is your spiritual hygiene today? How do you keep your spirit clean?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, it is an ideal devotional to start you off in the New Year. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.

Thank You

19 Wednesday Jan 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 50

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

sin, thankful, thanks to God

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.

Reading: Psalm 50:7-15

LORD God,
I owe my life to you.
I have so much to be thankful for.
Every day is a gift from you.
Thank you.
Amen.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

19 Wednesday Jan 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 50, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

sacrifice, sin, thankful, thanksgiving

Reading: Psalm 50:7-15
“Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.
I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know every bird in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields are mine.
If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
and call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (NIV).*

Winter Sunset — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
What is humanity’s greatest sin? Think about that for a moment. Is it murder? Hatred? Racism? The desecration of the planet? All of these are serious problems—serious sins. But what is the greatest sin?

Psalm 50 begins with a great summoning of all nations. The LORD is about to enter into judgment. But what charge does He bring against His people? He does not accuse them of heinous crimes, or the desecration of His temple. I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. Instead God calls for thank offerings. The LORD wants His people to have thankful hearts.

There is something rather anticlimactic about this call for thanksgiving. My initial reaction is one of surprise. I thought we had a serious problem here. Why summon the nations to a great gathering unless there is a declaration of some significance. Surely a lack of thanksgiving is an offence of no great significance. Or is it? Apparently in God’s view it is of great importance.

In his epistle to the Romans, St. Paul attributes a lack of thankfulness to the blinding power and deception of sin. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:20-21).

Because of its long term consequences, a failure to offer thanks may be the gravest sin of all.

Response: LORD God, I owe my life to you. I have so much to be thankful for. Every day is a gift from you. Amen.

Your Turn: What are you most thankful for? Why do you think ingratitude has such dire consequences?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Lamenting over Sin

13 Monday Dec 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 38, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

David, God, sin, the LORD

Reading: Psalm 38:1-8
A psalm of David. A petition.
LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful folly.
I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart (NIV).*

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Psalm 38 is a psalm of personal lamentation. The psalmist, David, laments the state of his personal and spiritual health. Notes of joy and triumph are absent from this psalm; instead we find David in a state of deep melancholy.

What is the cause of this melancholy—this depression verging on despair? David attributes his current ill health to sin. He has sinned and is bearing the consequences of his sin. His words of confession make this perfectly clear. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

What a refreshingly different approach to one’s problems! Rather than blaming others or blaming God, David takes responsibility for his self-inflicted difficulties. How different from the pop-psychology of today! Rather than deal with the sin issue we are often advised to pop a pill, blame a parent, a colleague or society in general. Rather than take our problems to God the world encourages us to indulge ourselves with another bottle, another doughnut or another spouse, meanwhile, our putrid load of sin piles ever higher.

David was on the right track when he confessed his sin to the LORD. He laments, “My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly.”

Thanks be to God! He can handle our sinful folly. He sent Jesus to die on the cross to wipe away our sins. Healing, forgiveness and redemption are available through the blood Jesus shed.

Response: LORD God, I thank you for Jesus. I am thankful I can put my complete trust in you. You forgive me and cleanse me from all my sins. I am saved by your amazing grace not by my effort. Amen.

Your Turn: When was the last time you truly lamented over sin in your life?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.

The Right View of Myself

29 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 36, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Jesus, repentance, self-flattery, sin

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.

Reading: Psalm 36:1-4

LORD God,
help me to see a true picture of myself.
If I see sin in my life,
help me to change.
Grant me the gift of repentance through Jesus,
who loved me to the point of death on a cross.
Amen.

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award and is an ideal Christmas gift for those who love God’s word. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.

Is Self-flattery Your Worst Enemy?

29 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 36, Psalms

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

David, God, sin, the LORD

Reading: Psalm 36:1-4
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.
I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.
In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
they fail to act wisely or do good.
Even on their beds they plot evil;
they commit themselves to a sinful course
and do not reject what is wrong (NIV).*

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection

Psalm 36 is a psalm of contrasts. David compares the wickedness of man with the amazing goodness of God. This opening portion of the Psalm 36 touches only on the depravity of man. The picture we see of ourselves is not particularly flattering.

According to David the problem begins with our eyes. He states, “There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.”

The sinful person has a vision problem. He cannot see the dire consequences of his sin. Sin exacts a terrible price. Consider the lives wrecked by addiction to alcohol, drugs or pornography. Furthermore, the damage is not limited to those caught in the terrible grip of sin. It overflows and contaminates all those around. Sin blinds the eyes so we cannot see the suffering we are causing to ourselves and others.

Over time, even so called “small” sins can exact a heavy toll on our lives. Often in subtle ways sin robs us of intimacy, peace and joy. While we are blind to the problem, sin interferes with our relationship with God and those who are near to us. Daily, we should be asking, “Do I have the right view of myself? In my mind am I flattering myself too much to detect or hate my sin? Have I become blind to my faults—faults that may be obvious to others?”

There is a biblical prescription for the blindness caused by our sinful condition. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding (Psalm 111:10). The fear of the LORD opens our eyes. The fear of the LORD leads to repentance and the fear of the LORD enlightens our understanding.

What is keeping you from intimacy, joy and peace? Is it a plethora of secret sins that blind and bind you into unhealthy patterns of thinking? Ask God to give you a right view—an unflattering view of yourself—so that with His help you can change.

Response: LORD God, help me to see a true picture of myself. If I see sin in my life, help me to change. Grant me the gift of repentance through Jesus, who loved me to the point of death on a cross. Amen.

Your Turn: In our mind, all of us flatter ourselves. How do you maintain a right picture of yourself?

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.

God Has Heard my Prayer

04 Sunday Jul 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 66, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

answered prayer, praising God, sin

I will praise the LORD!

Pink pentagon — photo by David Kitz

(Psalm 66:16-20, NIV)*

Come and hear, all you who fear God;
    let me tell you what he has done for me.
I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
    and has heard my prayer.
Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

I wish all my American readers a happy Independence Day.

Volume II of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

The Moral Accountant

24 Monday May 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 130

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

forgiveness, holiness, moral failure, sin

Reading: Psalm 130
A song of ascents.
(Verses 1-4)
Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
LORD, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
LORD, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you (NIV).*

A sunlit forest path — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Psalm 130 is a perfect example of a psalm that brings us into the private inner sanctum of communion with God. Here is a portrait of a fallen man—a man on his knees before his Maker, the eternal One. Hear him now as he agonizes in prayer, “Out of the depths I cry out to you, O LORD; O LORD, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”

The opening lines of this psalm leave little doubt as to what has transpired. The psalmist has failed; he has missed the mark. He has transgressed, yet again. There is an abject poverty of spirit reflected in these words—a poverty that almost makes us cringe.

We do not know what sin, or list of sins has brought the psalmist to this wretched state. The transgression is left unstated. Was it anger, malice, or unbridled lust? Was it pride, greed or willful dishonesty? Was this a transgression of the mind, of the tongue, of action or inaction? God knows.

I am always somewhat skeptical of those who claim they could never commit this or that sin. I think we rarely comprehend the depravity of our own hearts. Pushed into wrong circumstances, in the wrong environment, with the wrong peer group, who can plumb the depths to which a man or woman may sink? I can identify with the psalmist. I have added my own pile of dung to this world’s heap of moral filth. I too have found myself in the psalmist’s position, sobbing out these words, “Out of the depths I cry out to you, O LORD; O LORD, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.“

But despite my failings, despite my moral poverty, this great God—this God of holiness—is approachable. He is a God of mercy. The psalmist reminds himself and the LORD of His merciful nature with these words: If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, LORD, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

I need daily reminders of God’s forgiveness and mercy. God, the moral accountant, is also the LORD of forgiveness. No one does forgiveness better than God. When we confess our sins, He destroys the record. What accountant does that?

Response: Father God, I thank you for forgiveness. I have failed you many times, but you are rich in mercy. You are a patient God. Thank you for destroying the record of my sins. Thank you for the blood Jesus shed so I could be washed clean. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been guilty of digging up the record of your sins—sins that have been forgiven? What can you do to stop yourself from rehashing past sins?

Volume II of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

Hidden in My Heart

09 Friday Apr 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

commands, Psalm 119, sin, word of God

Today’s quote and prayer from the Psalms

Father God,
I want to live my life according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:10-11).
Amen.

The first volume of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is now available. For a closer look at this 262-page daily devotional book click here.

Willful Forgetfulness

24 Wednesday Feb 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 106, Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

forgetting God, redeemed, sin, sinned

Reading: Psalm 106
(Verses 6-15)
We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his mighty power known.
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.
But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness they put God to the test.
So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them (NIV).*

Walking along frozen Green’s Creek — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Psalm 106 begins with the psalmist pleading for God’s favor. He longs to be included among the blessed, who are saved and numbered among the LORD’s chosen ones. But in today’s reading we discovered the terrible truth. Sinful conduct has been rampant among God’s people; therefore, the psalmist makes this confession. We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

As this psalm progresses, the psalmist catalogues an ever growing list of transgressions. But what sets this downward progression into motion is a bout of forgetfulness. The psalmist laments, they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Later he comments: But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold.

Usually we do not consider forgetfulness to be a sin. But there is such a thing as willful forgetfulness. We remember those things we consider important. We forget the trivial—those things we consider of little significance. The redeemed people of Israel experienced the wonder-working power of God, yet they treated these events as though they were of little significance. They failed to grasp the paramount significance of these events and as result they stumbled into grumbling and disobedience. Do we grasp the significance of God’s interaction with us? The great Creator reaches out to us. There’s nothing insignificant in that. These are the high points in our sojourn through this life.

Response: Father God, I want to treasure the experiences I have with you. Each one is significant as you guide me in your way. Help me be attentive to your voice, your word and your Spirit. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been guilty of forgetting those times when God has spoken to you?

I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

Tag Archives: sin

Heart Cleaning

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Thank You