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Deacon Tom Writes ©
Extreme Makeover
One of the
most passionate psalms we read in the Old Testament is Psalm 51 attributed to
David. It’s the one we use today on this Fifth Sunday of Lent. David is
tormented by his guild and wants to be freed from it. He wants it taken away
and for him to be washed clean. Mindful of the damage he has done to Bathsheba,
Uriah and his soldiers, to the people of Israel whom he shepherds on God’s
behalf, and to himself, David turns to God and begs, “Create a clean heart in me, O God”. Most of us can relate to David because we have
been in his shoes. And we, like David, would like to have a fresh start, an “extreme makeover”, to renew and purify
us through and through and, not in the least, to rid us of our guild, torment,
and shame.
If we have
been doing any introspection this Lent, we probably have encountered some of
our flaws. That’s actually a good thing!
That’s one of the primary purposes of these forty days. But then comes
more challenging tasks…. changing those bad behaviors that trouble us and gnat
away at us…. And that’s very hard to do. It takes lot of time, effort, and
resolve to change our habits and behaviors. Yet no matter how firm our resolve,
we are going to need help, yes, help from above. So we turn to God and ask him
to cleanse us, renew us, and give us a willing spirit to change our ways.
It is a fact
of life that most of us carry around burdens from the past. In this we can easily
identify with David. We find his failure in the Second Book of the Prophet
Samuel, Chapter 11. When Nathan, the Prophet, confronts David with his sin, David
turns to God where he finds forgiveness and comfort in the compassion of God. And so can we. Sinners that we are, God
is always seeking to create a clean heart in us so and to renew our weary
spirits so that we can grow in his love and share in the joy of his salvation. These last few weeks of Lent give us
ample opportunity to confront our shortcomings and defects so that we can join
in the Easter celebration as people who have been given a special blessing, an
“extreme makeover” from the hands of
God who loves us beyond our wildest imagination. Renewed and set right with
God, we will then be eager to enter into the new life that lies ahead.
Enjoy the
day!
Deacon Tom
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