Heart To Heart

Acts 13:²² “But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.”

We will be picking up from where we left off yesterday. You should forgive whether people apologize to you or not. However, the person may never be able to have a relationship with you again. Forgiveness is one thing, but relationship is another thing. You can forgive someone and never talk to them again. Forgiving them does not mean you should hang out with them as you may never be able to. However, if the person is really sorry, apologizes and repents, since you are human, over time you can get to a place where you will actually be able to hang out with the same person because you see a different heart. But this takes some people longer than others.

Psalm 51:^2&4 “Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin… Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.” We see relationship play out in this passage of scripture. How can David say, against God and God alone has he sinned? Ahithophel, Uriah’s uncle, because of what happened hung himself eventually. Uriah was murdered, his wife, his family, everything. Yet David speaking to God says, against You and You alone have I sinned. In other words, let’s be friends again, restore to me the joy of Your salvation. Restore to me that joy of friendship.

We must not get it twisted; forgiveness should not be confused with relationship. And because a relationship with God was important, David could say in Psalm 51:¹⁰ “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” Why is that important to David? It is important to David because David wants to walk with God. David wants to have a relationship with God. David was not just interested in God saying, ‘Your sins are forgiven, I will not punish you for it’. For some people that is okay. That is the difference between Saul and David. Saul just wanted to look good in front of men, but David was particular about the heart that has been causing trouble.

Psalm 51:¹¹ “Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.” Can you see that? So, it is the presence of God, the relationship with God that was a priority to David. If you know how to practice the exercise of repentance every day, your heart will be so healthy. That is why God could say concerning David, ‘I have found a man after my own heart’. David’s heart was beating for God’s heart. David’s heart wanted to be where God is, in God’s presence.

Prayer (song): Create in me a clean heart and purify me, purify me. Create in me a clean heart so I may worship Thee. Cast me not away from thy presence… Amen!