Streams Running Clear

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

I have been so blessed by purchasing the Believer’s Bible Commentary and would recommend this to all. It takes verses and passages as a whole and translates with the in depth knowledge of its authors. Scholars take the heart and mind of those who penned these wonderful passages inspired by God and apply them to our lives. This simple little verse written by King David after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba is expounded upon in my commentary.

It states, ‘Looking back, I realize that the trouble all started in my mind. My thought-life was polluted. I entertained evil thoughts until at last I committed the sins. So now I ask that You create in me a clean mind. I know that if the fountain is clean, the stream flowing from it will be clean as well. Yes, Lord, renew my entire inner self so it will be steadfast in guarding against future outbreaks of sin.’ p. 630

Notice how he attributes the actual sin to the thought process leading up to sin. We can all relate to this! No sin is carried out without the aforethought in some manner. The thought of having ‘outbreaks of sin’ is an image I never realized. An outbreak of sin refers to a condition of the mind and heart for which we are all susceptible. The Bible states that we are born of a sinful nature so sinful outbreaks are guaranteed. Luckily, Christ died on the cross for us and continues to create a clean canvas each day allowing us to paint over past mistakes through our repentance.

In this world a polluted mind is a given as we live in a spiritually polluted world. By the renewing of our minds through His word, prayer and meditation we can clean up the waters of our mind and heart and have His fountain flow clean.

I know that if the fountain is clean, the stream of my thoughts and action will flow clean also.