Shepherd To King-Day 16

13 Sep Shepherd To King-Day 16

Scripture: Psalm 51:10-13-NLT– “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.”

To dive deeper into this passage, please click here to read the full text: 2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51

Observation: David is asking God to send the Holy Spirit to flood his heart and wipe him of his sin. He recognizes that he has not earned this, but understands that it will take a merciful act of God to bring wholeness to his life and allow him to serve others effectively. David is taking the crucial step of asking God to walk with him instead of waiting to see results.

Application: Have you ever been blessed with something you didn’t feel you earned? A couple of years ago, I was having a birthday party. The weeks leading up to the party were overall very calm. Flash forward to two hours before the party, and I’m frantically blowing up balloons, setting up snacks, and texting guests that are canceling at the last minute. I panicked. I lashed out at my mom who was doing her best to help me, and snapped at my little sister for popping a confetti balloon. I felt immediate regret, and apologized to my mom and thanked her for all of her help.

She then said something that really stuck with me. She told me that I never once said thank you throughout the planning, the materials bought by her, and help arranging everything, until that moment. I realized that I had been taking her for granted, and felt a wave of remorse. Because of this event, I started looking more closely at how she had helped me and started truly appreciating the little ways that those around me add to my life.

It took hitting a brick wall and desperately asking my mom for help for my eyes to be opened to this, and my whole outlook shifted. It took David being rebuked by Nathan for him to truly understand the scope of his sin. When David cried out for help, God heard his prayers and helped him.

In the midst of our brokenness, God can heal our wounds and turn our eyes back to heaven when we simply ask him to enter our hearts. A miraculous change occurs, and our old, troubled heart is replaced with a new, pure one. The Holy Spirit can work in your life to refine your soul and set you on a right path. All you have to do is accept the help. Even though we don’t deserve it, and we will continue to mess up, he will never let go of us or stop chasing after us.

Two years ago, when I let my walls down and begged God to heal my soul, I would never have imagined that I’d be where I am today. I love serving others and am excited to see where God takes my life and how he can use me to further his kingdom. He has been slowly working in my heart to eliminate distractions and keep my gaze on him. It now brings me great joy to help others find environments for them to experience this same life-change. I hope to exemplify the same amount of grace that my mom showed to me all that time ago, and that Jesus shows me every day. This is possible for anyone who humbles themselves and allows the Holy Spirit to move in them, giving them the help needed to turn their lives around.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to your people in their lowest moments. You have shown time and time again that you are always there to restore and purify our hearts and shape us to become fit to serve you and those around us. Please continue to seek after us even in our sin, and give us your Spirit to tell us when we do wrong. Give us the strength to take our regrets and mistakes to you, and wash us clean so that we may be of value for your purpose. You are the only one who can perform this miracle. Thank you for all you have done, and will continue to do in our lives. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Next Steps:

• Come back tomorrow for Day 17
• Ask yourself what may be holding you back from surrendering your heart to God.
• Spend time in your slot and spot to allow God to speak to you through his Word.
• Make yourself willing to listen and follow the impulses sent from the Holy Spirit; they are there to help and shape you!

Clara Kelly/ Worship J-Teamer/ Broadcast Production J-Teamer

Clara Kelly has been a part of The Journey family since 2015 and got plugged in in 2019. She serves in worship and helps out with online broadcast sound. Clara is excited to be starting college, and looks forward to seeing the church continue to grow in our area.