“Take not your Holy Spirit from me.”
Scripture: Psalm 51: 10-12
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.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God.
Some thoughts:
David was aware of his fickle faith. He knew he needed the presence of the Holy Spirit in his life continually. In these days of Israel’s history, the Holy Spirit was not a continual presence in David’s life as attested in this psalm. The continual indwelling of the Holy Spirit among all believers did not occur until Pentecost as described in Acts 2. In this section, David asks for a pure heart. He has acknowledged and confessed his sin earlier in the psalm. Now he wants a steadfast spirit. Like David, we all want to be consistent in our walk of faith. Yet we are “prone to wander” as the song says. It seems our old nature hangs around, trying to get its gnarly foot in the door. The key is the presence of the Holy Spirit within us recognizing when the door is being pushed ajar. I have been grateful and amazed at times during the day when my mind began to wander off the path, at how quickly the Holy Spirit pointed out what was happening. As we journey through this Lenten season, listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. Ask him to watch the door and give you an alert spirit throughout this day. Live consciously in the presence of God. Some of us are prone to talk to ourselves from time to time. When I am doing carpentry work and measuring and cutting wood, I frequently talk to myself and Nancy asks me who I’m talking to. What would it be like if we talked out loud to the Lord during the day? Talk with him today as you go about your business. You may wish to do so when you are by yourself!
Music: “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Eclipse 6
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LWyBcCH7Wg
Prayer: Prayer to the Holy Spirit -Christina Rossetti 1830-1894
As the wind is thy symbol, so forward our goings. As the dove, so launch us heavenwards. As water so purify our spirits. As a cloud so abate our temptations. As dew so revive our languor. As fire so purge out our dross. (Note the use of the biblical symbols for the Holy Spirit.)