Scripture
Psalm 51:5-7 CEB
Yes, I was born in guilt, in sin, from the moment my mother conceived me. And yes, you want truth in the most hidden places; you teach me wisdom in the most secret places. Purify me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
Consider
In these three verses, the psalmist gives us a model prayer for dealing with relationships that resist healing: (a) He acknowledges the universal and unavoidable problem of sin that contaminates our interactions with one another, (b) he describes God’s desire to expose and replace our sin with truth and wisdom, and (c) he surrenders himself to God for this healing transformation.
Forgiving others is a multi-layered process. Even after we have called a truce, perhaps worked out a reconciliation and moved on, we may experience little spurts of anger or hurt that lie dormant for a while and then spring up without warning. These rebel emotions cause us pain and confusion, perhaps leading us to doubt the sincerity of our forgiveness or tempting us to reopen old wounds. They reside in those hidden places of which the psalmist writes, elsewhere translated as my innermost being, my hidden heart, my inward affections, or the unseen places deep within me. These are the thoughts and attitudes, biases and resentments, of which we may not even be aware but which hold powerful sway over our intentions and behaviors toward one another.
Further down, in verse 10 the psalmist continues:
Create a clean heart for me, God; put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!
The verb used here, create, is also used in Genesis 1:1. It refers to work only God can do. In essence, the psalmist asks God to re-create him from the inside out, to overrule the chaotic and destructive forces of those hidden places with new order, wisdom, and life-giving truth. He also asks God for a new spirit so strong and faithful that it permeates every cell, directs every thought, and defends against every tendency to stir up sin and discord.
When we experience the occasional flare-up of anger or hurt from a conflict we thought we had resolved, we can take heart from these two lessons:
- Sin is a universal human condition we can never fully control, so we need not feel guilty or defeated when sin surprises us with unwanted emotions and attitudes.
- God is ready to do what we cannot, that is, to cleanse the sin from our deep, hidden places, to fill us with truth and wisdom, and to fortify us with his strong and faithful Spirit.
Pray
Loving Father, like the psalmist, I ask you to look deep into my hidden places and show me the sin I am unable to see. Free me from dark desires that lurk in these deep recesses, undetected and unrestrained, capable of dropping me into confusion and pain without warning. Give me a spirit like yours, strong and faithful, to guide me toward peace and forgiveness in my relationships.
Reflect
Job 38:36; Jeremiah 17:10; Acts 15:8
Ponder
When have I experienced an emotional flare-up that surprised me? What could be its root cause?
