“Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” –Psalm 51:10
NKJV
“Change me, Lord!” A plea
we make often. But do we really mean
it? We ask the Lord to change us, but we
are operating under free will (the ability to act at one’s own
discretion). Acting under one’s own
discretion means He cannot change a resistant being. The declaration, ‘Change me, Lord’ does not
possess any magical powers. Rather, the
declaration suggests submission.
Submission, and a repentant heart.
There are no examples in the Bible where Jesus forced anyone to follow
Him or to change. Any change was
preceded by the person’s change of heart – voluntarily.
Our subject scripture is known as A Prayer of Repentance. After David willfully sinned with Bathsheba,
another man’s wife, he was confronted with his sin by Nathan the prophet. David did not make excuses, point the finger,
or lie. He immediately acknowledged his
sin saying, “I have sinned against the Lord.” (2 Samuel 12:13). The entire 51st book of Psalm is
David’s sincere ‘Change me, Lord’ moment.
Because of David’s sincere plea, he is known as a man after God’s own
heart.
So the next time you declare, ‘Change me, Lord!’, examine where
your heart is.
Margaret Slaughter
