17-Mar-24 (Psalm 51)

In one of today's Psalm, the writer asks God to create a clean heart within him. What do you think it means to have a clean heart?
[wait for answers]
I think that part of what the writer is asking God for is to forgive him for all the times he's hurt other people in some way. It might be that he was mean to them or maybe he said something about them that wasn't true. Whatever it was, it was something he was ashamed of... and it sounds like he should have been.
We don't know what God's answer was to the writer of scripture, but I know what God's answer is to me when I've asked the same sort of thing: God says, "You're forgiven... now go make it right with the people you've hurt."
God will always forgive us when we ask, but God will also tell us to make things right too.
Let's talk to God about that.

Prayer:

God, we thank you for sending us Jesus to show us your love and forgiveness. Help us not to take your forgiveness for granted. Help us remember to go and make things right. Help us to show your love for others, especially for the others we might have hurt.
In the name of Jesus, our Christ, AMEN