Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
—Psalm 51:2, 6, 10, NASB

Reflection:
In Psalm 51 David was calling out for restoration and cleansing from the sin he committed with Bathsheba. But all of us need to be washed and cleansed. We have all lost the innocence we had as children. As we age and move through life, the world has an effect on us. We are defiled by the fallen world we live in, but even more so by the words we have spoken.

Jesus said it is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth. When the Pharisees began to question Jesus as to why His disciples ate with unwashed hands, Jesus said there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. In other words, eating food with unwashed hands does not defile a person. What defiles people are the evil words that come out of their mouths.

It is no use hiding from God. He already knows everything in our hearts and every word we have ever said, all the critical, judgmental, and mean words we have spoken. We speak them because of an evil heart. Jesus said, out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Whether we want to admit it or not, you and I are defiled, and we need to get down on our knees and, like David, say: Wash me and cleanse me, God, for You desire truth in the innermost being.

We cannot walk with God unless we are walking in truth. We can sit in all the church services we want to, but if we are leaving the services and speaking words of criticism, cruelty, and accusation against other people, these things defile us and our religion is a sham.

When Isaiah found himself in the presence of God, the prophet fell on his face before the Lord and said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Then he looked to Father God to wash and cleanse him, just as David did. The Lord graciously responded to Isaiah’s plea, and Isaiah’s iniquity was taken away.

In order to have peace in our hearts, in order to have restoration, in order for us to walk with God in a spirit of joy, we need to be washed and transformed. Dear one, make a covenant before God to stop speaking evil. Choose to speak words of life instead of words of destruction; words that heal instead of words that tear people down. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and our salvation experience will never rise above the confession of our mouth.

Whenever a spirit of accusation, faultfinding, hostility, hatred, anger, or lust comes into our hearts, we must resist it. We cannot always control every thought that comes into our minds or every impulse that strikes our hearts, but we can control what we do with those thoughts and impulses. If we are going to go deep with God, our words are going to have to line up with the Spirit of God. We are going to have to be cleansed from the inside out. That is the only way we can walk with God, live in His presence, enjoy His fellowship, and experience the fullness of His blessing.

Application:

• Make a covenant before God to stop speaking evil and choose words that give life, heal, and express faith and hope.
• When accusation, faultfinding, hostility, anger, or lust enters your heart, resist it before it lodges in and comes out of your mouth.

Prayer:
Father, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Purify my lips and cleanse me from every critical, judgmental, and mean word I have spoken. Teach me to guard my heart and watch what comes out of my mouth. Let my words line up with Your Spirit so I can walk with You, live in Your presence, and experience the fullness of Your blessing.me light to see from Your perspective, and grace to obey Your word. I belong to You, and You are mine.