DAY 11
Psalms 51:10-12
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
THOUGHT
We all go through different seasons of life—good times and bad times, highs and lows, mountain tops and valleys. Sometimes, I am super in tune with God, and I feel His presence and see His handiwork everywhere. Other times, it feels like my prayers barely hit the ceiling, much less reach the ear of the Creator. In those times, I feel like I am wandering and just going through the motions – doing what I am supposed to but not feeling Him.
At the risk of sounding like Job's friends, most of the time when I feel this way, pride, fear, busyness, apathy, or any other number of distractions or sin has crept into my life, taking away peace and closeness to God. Other times, I don't know what is wrong or what causes these periods of separation. When I eventually crawl or am lifted out of the valley, knowing He loves and cares for us and will renew the right spirit within us is reassuring.
ACTION
1. Rest. Quiet yourself and the world around you so that you can read, pray, and listen with fresh ears to what God has to say to you.
2. Seek council from a mature believer. God uses others to speak His word into our lives, and hearing from and being prayed for by a trusted friend certainly helps us draw closer to Him.
3. The verse that follows gives us guidance for what to do next: "Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." – Psalm 51:13
It is important for us to share our testimony with others; there is power in your story. Our walk can be messy, but God is a big God who can clean up big messes.
PRAYER
God, thank You for who You are and how much You love me. You know my desire to know and love and serve You. Help me have a heart that beats in time with Yours. Reveal anything in my life that hinders the intimacy with You that I so strongly desire. Put others in my life who can help me grow my faith and help me grow the faith of others. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.