Psalms 51:10

Psalms 51:10 says, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Like David, we need to ask God to create a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within us.  We cannot do this on our own, but can only be cleansed of sin and be spiritually renewed by faith in God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Verse eleven adds, Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  David asked God to not cast him out of His presence nor remove His holy spirit from him.  As Christians, we never have to be afraid that God will cast us out of His presence, and the Holy Spirit will always indwell us.  Our salvation is sealed by God.  Verse twelve asks, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  David evidently felt that he had lost the joy of his salvation, and so may we if we begin to focus on the things of the world instead of on God.  David also asked that God uphold the free spirit of God in him.  I believe that when David referred to the spirit of God that he was referring more to an attitude than to the Holy Spirit.  Verse thirteen adds, Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.  David said that when he was made right with God, then He could teach transgressors about God and sinners could be converted.  We as followers of Christ have been made right with God, and it is our responsibility to reach out to a lost and sinful world with the gospel.  Verse fourteen declares, Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.  David said when God delivered him from his guilt of sin, then he would sing aloud of God's righteousness, and so should we as sinners saved by grace.  Verse fifteen adds, O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.  As David asked of God then, we need to ask God to open our lips with praise for Him.  As Christians we should praise God no matter what is going on in life.  Verse sixteen states, For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.  David said that God did not desire the rituals of sacrifice.  God instituted the sacrificial system not because this was something He needed, but to show the obedience of His people.  The only sacrifice that God needs from anyone today is the sacrifice of themself to Him.  All our tithes and offerings are just to show our obedience to Him.  Verse seventeen adds, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  As David said then, the only sacrifice we can give God is our broken and contrite heart as we accept His gift of salvation.  Everything else is already God's.  Verse eighteen says, Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.  David asked God to do His good pleasure to God and for Him to build the walls of Jerusalem.  It is only when we are obedient to God through faith in Jesus Christ that we can expect Him to show His good pleasure to us, and even then that does not mean that He is going to make us materially rich.  Verse nineteen adds, Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.  David said that after the people of Israel were made right with God that then He would accept their offerings and sacrifices.  We can give everything we have to God, but unless we have been made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, what we offer will never be acceptable to God.