A Clean Heart
Written by Michelle Smythers
Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:12
With the beginning of a new year, many people make resolutions and set goals to improve themselves. Some are successful, some only last a week or two. Try as we might, we sometimes fail.
Isn't it wonderful to know that even when we fail at being the best person God wants us to be, we can still come to Him? We may feel guilt and shame, we may have hurt and anger, we may feel like giving up but God is still there. In Hebrews 13:5 we are told, For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. God doesn't only love us when we are doing exactly as He expects. He is there for us on the days that our faith waivers. He's there when we feel like hiding under the covers and blocking the world out. He's there when we feel scared and alone. He's there when we mess up so bad that we don't think He could ever forgive us.
As we begin this new year, we need to change our expectations of ourselves. We should always strive to be more like Jesus every day but on those days we miss the mark, we need to turn our hearts to God and ask for help. God isn't going to give up on us, even if we have to ask Him every day to Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. God is merciful, patient, kind and loving. He knows the intent of our heart. He knows that we will miss the mark from time to time. But He is there to restore the joy of our salvation. He's there to uphold us. It's up to us to come to Him when need help. Are you ready to accept all that God has to offer you?
Last Updated: January 5, 2026
