I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Want a Clean Heart?
King David made some great decisions, but he also made some terrible ones. He had an affair with a woman named Bathsheba, for example, and attempted to conceal the secret by arranging the murder of her husband.
For someone who was considered “a man after God’s own heart,” David really messed up. And yet, we know from Scripture that David confessed his sin against the Lord (2 Samuel 12:13) and can read about how he prayed for mercy in Psalm 51:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 ESV
If you’ve ever messed up, you’re in good company. Paul, the author behind much of the New Testament, writes in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Paul wasn't always a man who followed God's own heart, either—in fact, early in his life, he killed people who followed Jesus.
God did not abandon Paul. He did not exclude David. And He will not forsake you, either! God does not leave us to ourselves or our pasts, nor does He give us what we fully deserve. Instead, He put on skin and took our place. Jesus became the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for our sin—once and for all. He can even use us, despite what we may have done!
If you’re longing for a second chance or craving a relationship with the one true God, but aren’t sure where to start, try borrowing some of David’s words. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
When we seek God, we realize that He’s already been seeking us.
God is faithful. He is who He says He is and He will do what He says He’ll do. He is your merciful Savior, He forgives your sins, and He not only makes your heart clean, but He also makes you a brand new creation.
The Strength of God in Us
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:10 are a paradox. We don’t often think of hardship and difficulties in life as a sign of strength or joy. Our culture often celebrates the physically and mentally strong, and it’s easy to elevate those who are successful and talented.
But Paul says that God works differently among those who follow Him. Rather than looking for those who are naturally talented and strong, God likes to use those who are weak and humble.
Our natural successes and talents can get in the way of God working in our life, but when we are weak and helpless, we must rely on God’s strength alone.
That is why Paul says he delights in difficulty, persecution, and hardship—because it’s in those moments that God is able to be his strength and joy. God forms character in times of difficulty.
Paul was not a naturally gifted speaker or writer, and yet God worked mightily within his weakness to produce powerful speeches and letters that are part of Scripture....
