Psalm 51:10-12 and Psalm 42:1-2 "Create in me a clean heart..." and "As a deer longs..."

Psalm 51:10-12: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit" (NRSV).

Question:

Psalm 51:10-12 and Psalm 42:1-2 have been my daily prayers for years, and I am new to Unity and metaphysical interpretations and am really wondering …

Comment:

This is a beautiful daily prayer!  Psalm 51 is presented as a psalm written by David when the prophet Nathan castigated him for his affair with Bathsheba (Chapters 11 and 12 of 2 Samuel). He realizes his error, and the Psalm begins "Have mercy on me, O God." But what strikes me about it is the confidence it expresses. It speaks of a powerful and creative relationship with the Power of God. There is no groveling, no fear that God may inflict further punishment. There is a willingness to face consequences, learn lessons, make new choices and move forward. It speaks to me of the kind of spiritual ownership that Jesus calls us to recognize and express. With "a clean heart" and a "right" and "willing" spirit, we can leave old mistakes behind and move confidently forward.   Psalm 42:1-2: "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (NRSV).   This beautiful statement reminds me of two of the Beatitudes from Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." And "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Our spiritual journey cannot arise from idle curiosity or half-hearted willingness. If we are to fully release and express the Christ energy that seeks to flow through us, we must want that sense of Oneness with God more than anything else in life. Any sense of separation from our spiritual Source causes a great sense of loss and mourning. The possibility of re-establishing Oneness is a hunger and thirst that cannot be relieved by human measures. It is a longing that will carry us through any challenges or obstacles, to the new consciousness that Jesus names "the kingdom of heaven."   Blessings!

Rev. Ed