God's Gifts #20

Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.

Psalms 51:9-13, www.solascriptura.com

Father, this prayer by David is a wonderful model for each of us. We pray that we commit less and less sin each day because we know You notice. You do promise to blot out our iniquities but help us not to commit the same sins over and over.

When we err Father, do not, we pray, move away from us but instead draw us unto You. We ask that You not be "fair" with us, because we would always be guilty but that You be merciful to us.

When we walk away from sin we have an opportunity to rush to Your side. We know we cannot immerse ourselves in sin and expect You to stand with us. We can not, in our own power, conquer sin but we trust in You to deliver us from the heaviness of guilt, to teach us how much better it is to abide in Your presence.

Father, how can we be a witness to others if we are overcome by temptation? You have promised us that if temptation comes, and it surely comes and keeps on coming, that You permit the test but You simultaneously provide a way to escape that we will be able to bear it.

Father, if we detest sin in ourselves, it is because we are certain that You feel the same way. The "truth" is surely written upon our hearts and the Light never goes out.

Illuminate our path and bless us and keep us in Your Holy hand this day and every day We pray in Jesus' name, amen.



Bruce Caldwell