The Bible is full of men and women, who had blown it when it comes to living holy lives.  Some of these men and women loved God with an amazing love, but found themselves in a constant and continual battle between the flesh and spirit.

King David was one of these people.  He loved God and was a man after God’s Own heart, but David messed up, not once or twice, but again and again and again.  The beautiful thing about David’s mess ups, his sins, is that even though He messed up – God continued to love Him, care for Him and use Him.

God did not use David because He was perfect and sinless.  God used David because, while He did not have a clean heart, he wanted one!  In Psalm 51 we read these heart spoken words:

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.  5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.  6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.  7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.  14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.  15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.  

Keith Green sings a beautiful song that has become a prayer in my life.  It reflects the heart of what I believe David was feeling and trying to express.  It reflects what I am a lot of times feeling and trying to express to our awesome God!  If you want to listen to it, then you can find it on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_4b_9l3GpE

“Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me

“Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me

Cast me not away from Thy presence, oh Lord
And take not Thy holy spirit from me

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me.”