Turn My Heart O God

Psalm 119:36 "Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain."

Our hearts do not naturally turn toward God or His Word. Our nature is to turn towards ourselves and selfish gain. When we turn our hearts toward Him or His Word, a change must take place, in order for that to actually happen. A wonderful change, a good change, a change we need to experience over and over again. I am reminded of some song lyrics from some years back that illustrate this changing process. I want to share them with you.

Change my heart O God
Make it ever new
Turn my heart O God
Make it be like you

You are the Potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me
This is what I pray

This song is playing over and over in my mind as I write this devotional. I wish you could hear the simple, catchy melody because it has a way of making you repeat the words over and over again. God's Word can change us, if we will let it. Why? Because it is the irrefutable truth. You know the way truth is, it sets you free. If I don't turn toward the truth, I will get caught up in the lies. I need to be renewed each day, some days more than once a day. Some days multiple times in one day. If I want to be like Jesus, I must be in His Word. His Word tells us who and how He is and reveals to us how to be more like Him. If not, I can make it all about me and what I want and what I think and not about Him. That comes pretty easy and we must choose not to or we will end up at the center of our own universe. A very small, selfish place where we suffer by our own doing.

The second stanza of the song is a great prayer. We need to be like clay in His hands. Let Him mold us, shape us and make us into what The Potter has in mind for us. Which would really be the best thing for us if we would surrender to it. Our tendency is to try to be our own potter and you know the results, a lot of cracked pots. It all begins with the turning. The first step is to turn to Him, to turn the pages of His Word, to turn our hearts away from our selfishness and towards His truth. Sometimes what we want and what he wants are worlds apart and we can begin to avoid Him. Sometimes that molding is a little painful and means big change. So today, turn, surrender, let Him mold you and make you into the beautiful vessel for Him that He wants you to be. Pray it, confirm it in His Word and surrender to it. Change feels good when it comes from Him. May you know this change and turn to Him for it.

In the Potter's hands, Pastor Fred

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