Yom Shi-shi, Iyar 8, 6002 – May 5, 2017
What Matters Most
The scriptures are fairly clear about what happens when something is valuable to us.
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
What captures your thoughts? What do you find yourself dwelling upon? In this scripture, Yeshuah (Jesus) was warning to not seek for men to think us spiritual, but rather to keep that between us and the Father. The result is His open reward. David found out about this once through transgression.
Psalms 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
After David sinned, he became aware that it is the inward parts that needed help – his heart. He knew that he had let his heart take him away from the Father. And once he had sinned, that revelation was consuming him and troubling him greatly. He knew he could not change that as a man, and that only God could change that for him.
Psalms 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
David cried out to the Father to cleanse his heart and spirit. He wanted God to hide His face from his sin and blot it out. He finally learned that it was the presence of God and His Spirit that was what he treasured, and that his heart needed cleaning and renewal to get back to the right place. He needed help with treasuring God with his whole heart.
Psalms 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; or else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
David realized that he was desparate for God. The worst thing that could happen would be for God to cast him away from His presence. He needed a broken and contrite heart. He also knew that if God would do this and restore him, then the good things of God would return to him and the nation he was king over.
Psalms 51:18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
We know the end of the story. Yahuah (God) responded, and gave him a renewed heart and spirit. This is what our Father wants from us. He wants us to cry out to Him for a better heart, and to follow after Him. The good news for us is our Father longs to do this very thing for us.
Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. We need Your will here with us in this earth. Send us today Your overwhelming provision. Forgive us our transgressions, and help us to forgive those that have transgressed against us. We need Your help. We need you to not look on our transgressions, to blot them out. Create in us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us. Help us now to be Your people and walk in Your ways, that You might deliver us and provide for us and our nation. Restore right relationships between us. Restore all that is good that has been taken or held back in any way from Your people, and the more besides, that all men might know that You alone have done this. We ask all these things in the name of our Messiah Yeshuah (Jesus). Amen.