"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more." Isaiah 54:4

Praise God for this wonderful Scripture this morning!

Fear, shame, humiliation and disgrace are sure dreadful. All of us can recall incidents when we have suffered such situations. For some it leaves a permanent scar, making them fearful of further shame or disgrace.

Today's message is for those of us who are constantly conscious (in fear) of humiliation. It means we are not confident, we feel intimidated, we do not speak up for our rights/faith/belief, etc. We are afraid that we will be picked on, called upon, shunned at. Before long the fear turns to anger and we shy away from friends and family withdrawing from social circles. Many fall prey to depression...

This is surely one of satan's cunning tricks as he knows that with as little as casting a shadow of doubt he can lure some of us to death, away from the life we have found in Christ. He doesn't have to work hard at it if we are unaware of what the Word of God promises us.

Knowing the Scriptures will enable us to stand firm and rebuke him in the Name of Jesus!

So, it is important we read the Scriptures and by heart a few for our every day use. It will help us eradicate every single doubt that ever so lightly crosses our minds.

Let us repeat today's verse together:

"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more." Isaiah 54:4

Now let us say it again customized for us:

I will not fear, for I will not be put to shame; I will not feel humiliated, for I will not be disgraced; But I will forget the shame of my youth, And the reproach of my widowhood I will remember no more. My Lord has said so!

Go ahead! Claim it as your own! It is the Holy Spirit who is sharing! Amen!

Have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son?

It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?

If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!

They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

~Hebrews 12: 4-13

It's not my words folks, the entire passage is from the Scriptures. And therefore let us heed to it.

Blessed Tuesday all!

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Don't know about you but I can blindly believe this verse without asking for any proof. I love the concept of our God holding our right hand. Clearly it shows how protective He is of us.

Let us repeat the verse, slightly altered: For you are the Lord, my God, who takes hold of my right hand and says to me not to fear and that you will help me. Amen!

As if to reiterate the statement, in the very next verse He says: Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 41:14

To sum it all up: Do not fear about anything. Just as He has promised He will help you! He Himself will help you!! Remember He is holding your right hand... Praise the Lord!

Have a blessed Monday!

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Psalm 119:116

It is not just us who get weary when the blessing we hope for is delayed. Every one can relate to it. Let us therefore learn from some examples from the Scriptures on godly men on how they handled the stress associated with delayed hope.

King David reverts to prayer and supplication. There are numerous accounts of him praying and pleading thru' his psalms. He was certain his help would come from the Lord. He sings: Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:4

Prophet Jeremiah learnt to wait for Him; he writes in Lamentations 3:21-24: My soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Then there is the renewed hope when the wait is finally over and when we receive His blessings. In Ezekiel 37:11 we read: They (People of Israel) say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’

The Lord says in verse 37:13-14 "Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord."

So what do we need to do?
1. Pray
2. Be sure the Lord alone can help
3. Wait for the Lord
4. Receive your blessing

Is that hard?

Return, return, O Shulammite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. Song of Solomon 6:13

This seems like a conversation between Shulammite and her friends.

In the earlier verses of the same chapter we see how beautiful Shulammite is and how much she is loved. I guess that is the reason why her friends are suddenly interested in seeing her again! They want to look upon her to see what it is about her that attracts her Lord.

Let's just pause there for today... Does our Lord find us (our hearts) impressively beautiful? Does His love for us make our friends want to look at us once more - up close?!

Remember, Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5

What we read in these Scriptures is the exact opposite of what we see and hear around us. The world defines self confidence as confidence in oneself or one's own abilities. But for us - the believers - the Lord must be our confidence!

Paul has set a very good example for us in his statements. Great King Solomon - the wisest ever lived has said: The Lord Is My Confidence. Proverbs 3:26. My favorite King David has sang, It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8

The Lord has spoken through Prophet Isaiah: "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Can we too confirm the Lord indeed is our confidence?!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

Let us pray:

Our Father in heaven, thank you for this time together at your presence Lord. Thank you for every one of us gathered here in your name Lord. We are here seeking the new heart and new spirit you have promised us Lord.

Some of us come with a heavy heart this morning Lord. Some of us have hardened heart Lord. Some of us are fearful Lord. Some of us are shameful Lord. Some of us are feeble at heart Lord. Some of us have heart disease Lord. We submit all of us at your feet Lord.

Your Word promises us that you will give us a new heart Lord. Please grant us one Lord. To each one of us Lord.

Give us a heart of flesh, sensitive to your touch, completely healed, forgiven, loved and filled up to the rim and overflowing with your love and grace Lord. Please mold us Lord. Please make us Lord. And use us for your glory Lord.

Please heal those among us who have been diagnosed with physical heart conditions Lord. Please touch them and heal them this very minute Lord. Let them feel your arms embracing them this very minute Lord. Let them sense your presence fill their rooms this very minute Lord. Let them experience the power of your hands reaching out to them this very minute Lord. Please heal them Lord. Please touch them Lord. Remove all the pain Lord. Completely heal them Lord.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you Savior. Thank you Holy Spirit. We love you and praise you and glorify your name Lord. In Jesus Christ's most powerful name we pray, Amen!

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3

When do we need a new song? Only when the old songs aren't enough to praise Him. Which means that the latest deliverance or blessing we received from Him is so good that we don't find anything appropriate to sing and worship Him with. Our heart just opens up bubbling with a new song of praise.

It is a wonderful experience when you don't have anything but only gratitude for the Lord. When you come to His presence without the long to-do list but only with praise and worship from a very grateful heart.

When we sing such new song of praise, as King David suggests many will see and fear and put their trust too in the Lord. What an awesome way to share our testimony - by being a living proof!

As we start a new week today, let us for once forget our list of requests and only praise and worship the Lord with a grateful heart and a new song of praise. Then many will see and fear and put their trust too in the Lord.

God bless you all and have a great Monday!

My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi. Song of Solomon 1:14

Looks to me the bride here loves henna blossoms and especially those from En Gedi; so she compares her lover to a bouquet of henna blossoms from En Gedi. Since we haven't been to En Gedi or seen those henna blossoms, let's pick our favorite flower or perfume so that we can relate to the context better, shall we?

Now, let's see if we can compare our Lord to our favorite perfume. Does His sweet fragrance constantly attract us to Him? Do we want to smell like Him? Do we remember to "spray" some of Him before we step out to start our day?

Elsewhere in Proverbs we read, Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart (Proverbs 27:9) I believe this truly fits the description of our Lord. His love surely brings joy to our hearts, does it not?

Interestingly Apostle Paul also has shared similar thoughts in his letter to the Ephesians church, in which he says: "...and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2)

It feels so good to be associating our Lord with our favorite perfume. Now I can almost smell Him! I am sure you do too. Let's enjoy His sweet presence rest of the day!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Wonderful Counselor - What does that mean? Counselor is one who counsels; or advices; or instructs. Having God as our Counselor would imply depending on His guidance or advice. In fact Holy Spirit is our constant Counselor. Just as Jesus was getting ready for His ascension He had promised to send us the Counselor - Holy Spirit - the Spirit of truth, who would live with us and be in us!

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— he Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:16

One of the prime expertise of  Holy Spirit - our Counselor - is  explained in John 14:26

The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

Even as we pray for our children let us pray over these blessings on them that they are led by the Lord so that their peace shall be great.

Isaiah 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Isaiah 48:18

Lack of peace can surely be linked to not following the counsel of Holy Spirit. If that is our case today let us recommit our lives to heed to the instructions of our Wonderful Counselor.

Have a blessed weekend!

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go  well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1:2

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 1:6

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. Ephesians 3:16

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:17-19

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

I  pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18-19

I (Jesus) pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one--as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. John 17:21

I  keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17

I  pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

I pray that the Lord may fulfil his word. 1 Samuel 1:23

Amen!

"I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the LORD. Zephaniah 3:20

The problem with us believers is that we are sometimes hesitant to claim certain promises as our own. Some even dismiss it as from the past, for certain people, at specific times, within certain context, etc.

True, all Scriptures were written in some context, however these are 'living and enduring word of God' (I Peter 1:23) making it true for all generations.

Here's further explanation on that by Apostle Paul: For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20

As the children of God, born of Christ, washed by His blood, these promises are ours to claim as our own! What a privilege!

Why then is it hard to believe that He will restore our fortune and give us honor and praise among the peoples of the earth? Let's shake off any doubt and claim it as our own; shall we?

In any specific area in our lives that feels like a failure, let us claim this promise and pray that He restores our fortune.

Here's an interesting passage from the First Book of Samuel Chapter 3:

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

We as believers look forward to hearing the Lord speak to us. But when He actually does, are we listening?! It doesn't seem so - not always.

We only "listen" to the part we want to hear and not to what is being spoken.

We take the promises without the conditions, demand forgiveness without repentance, want to be loved without commitments...

This can't help us mature in our Faith.

Today let us prepare our hearts to say "Speak Lord, I am listening"

And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. Genesis 31:12 (KJV)

I strongly encourage you to read this portion of the Scripture which would set the context for today's devotion: Genesis 30:25 onwards.

It is an all too familiar story how Jacob was taken advantage of by his Father-in-law Laban. For the first fourteen years he worked for him for Rachel, he did not get paid at all. Later when Laban was willing to pay him he kept changing the wages because it seemed Jacob was getting the better of the deal. It was in fact in a dream Jacob got the hint to ask for speckled, ringstraked ad grisled flocks as his wages.

The focus of our attention today is the underlined text above: "I have seen all that Laban has done to you!"

It may appear for a while that we are on God's blind spot and that He ignores how we are treated by certain individuals in our lives - be it a manager, a supervisor, a spouse, an in-law, a sibling, a friend, a neighbor - you name it. People could be taking advantage of our hard work, our simplicity, our honesty, our God fearing, you name it.

Don't give up yet; just hang in there. Don't you doubt the least that whatever you are going through are all recorded in God's sight. He has seen it all! Soon He will justify your cause and bring you victory. He will never ever put you to shame.

Here are some more Scriptures along these lines to assure you indeed your help is near:

* Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll--are they not in your record? Psalm 56:8

* "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back." Isaiah 54:7

* This is what the LORD says: Stop your crying, and wipe away your tears. You will be rewarded for your work, declares the LORD Jeremiah 31:16

* Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13

* No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. Isaiah 62:4

Amen, His eyes have seen all they have done to you! Amen!

Blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. Genesis 14:20

How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth! Psalm 47:2

Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High Psalm 50:14

I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me Psalm 57:2

El-Elyon in the original Hebrew Scriptures is always interpreted as God Most High in the English translations. (If English is not your Mother tongue, I strongly recommend you read these exact Scriptures in your language to get a full idea of it's meaning.)

God Most High implies there is nothing/nobody in past/present/future who is higher than Him. There is no superior to Him. He is it! We have reached the highest in the authority chain - to whom we can compliment, complain, request, hang out with, make petitions to, stay in touch with, take pride to connect with, regarding the situations we are in. The one and only God Most High our El-Elyon!

Prophet Isaiah has prophesied about God Most High that gives us a glimpse of how majestic He is:

This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16

How many of us are wise based on the standard set forth here by today's Scripture? I feel ashamed to say I am not.

The fact of the matter is we can be gentle and polished outwardly - at work, in the church, with friends for example; but at home we could be way different, annoyed, irritated, frustrated, angry, whatever you want to call it.

Just realized this is foolish and sinful. What do we do then when situation calls for it - when the spouse is forever working, when the house is a total mess, when the chicken doesn't thaw on time?? The Scripture teaches us to overlook these insults to stay prudent.

Very hard I am sure. But we can all try. After all it's a new day and why not strive for something new today - prudence?!

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind> man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped (leaped) to his feet and came to Jesus. 

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:46-52

What do you want Him to do for you today? Have  your answer ready; He will do it!

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

Today's reading: Proverbs 29 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor." 29:23

Few other scriptures here in similar lines:

* "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:12
* "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10
* "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Proverbs 3:34

If there is one person who had all the reasons to have pride - it would be King Solomon! Why? Because the Bible says there was no one before him or no one after him who would be as wise as him!

But, King Solomon himself stays away from pride as carefully as possible. We can repeatedly see many references in Proverbs where he shuns away from pride and warns us to the consequences pride can lead us into. I am sure he had found it out to be true that being humble at heart would help receive the grace of the Lord.

Pride is a trap. Once we fall for it, it is very difficult to come out. These verses are here to warn us. Let us avoid pride at any cost!

Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.” 

You may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:4

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Psalm 23:1

Those who fear him lack nothing Psalm 34:9

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing. Proverbs 28:27

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10

We have a promise given us for today and the days to come, that we will lack nothing. We will lack no good thing. Praise the Lord!

Let us cherish this promise holding on to the Scriptures shared over the coffee table this morning.

May God bless you! Have a blessed day!

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

What do mean by a pure heart? In simple terms a heart which is not impure or dirty is what we mean by a pure heart.

Is our heart pure or dirty? If our heart is filled with good stuff it is a pure heart; if filled with junk stuff it is a dirty.

What are some of the good stuff we can fill our heart with? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, humility, honesty, integrity, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Chronicles 29:17)

What are some of the dirty stuff one could have in their heart? Evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. (Mark 7:21)

How good is your heart?

Now that the facts have been laid out, if your answer is that you have a pure heart, very well; keep it pure.

In case you answered 'impure' please get it cleaned by the Blood of Jesus Christ! Repeat a sincere prayer after King David as in today's Scripture: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Few more Scriptures for you to ponder over...
"Be holy, because I(Jesus) am holy." 1 Peter 1:16

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm:23: 5

I would often think I had no enemies only to realize that not everyone I know of think of my well being all the time. There would be jealousy, hatred & grudges against us from very familiar people. They may not be genuinely happy when things go well for us and may secretly rejoice when things go bad for us, thus becoming an "enemy".  Also, not to forget our real enemy - the roaring lion prowling around looking to devour someone.

I am sure all of you have faced such enemies one time or other in your life. But when you sit back and think about how God led you through those circumstances you can boldly say like King David said: "My God prepared a table for me in front of my enemies. He anointed my head with oil; my cup was full". Yes, I can say that & I am sure you can too. Let's pray:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you Lord for this beautiful day. Thank you for this wonderful time with you Lord. Thank you for always preparing a table for me in front of my enemies in the past circumstances Lord. Thank you for always lifting up my head and anointing me with oil Lord. Thank you that you gave me in abundance that my cup ran over Lord. I continue to trust that your glory will be revealed in the coming days too Lord. Thank you for your protection and for your anointing Lord. I praise you again for all your mercies Lord. Bless this day Lord. Bless each and every one of us who gather here to spend few minutes with you Lord. I Love you Jesus! In Jesus' mighty name I pray, Amen!

In The Book of Acts, Chapter 12 we read of an account of Peter's miraculous escpe from the prison.

Verses 12 through 16 talks about how Peter was received following his escape; it goes:

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your  mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

This passage actually reminds me of a familiar Scripture:  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Jesus is the answer to all our prayers! Jesus is the solution for all our problems! Yet, we ignore His knocking time and time again. It is difficult for many to be convinced that salvation is as simple as that, opening our hearts to Him.

He is still knocking. If you haven't answered His call yet, please do. He is a miracle waiting to happen in your life!

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Today's verse is actually a part of the prayer of repentance by King David. Click here to read the entire prayer.

As you can see, these are not empty words or words of guilt alone; these are sincere statements made by a repenting heart with a crushed spirit. He was not trying to elude from God's presence like Adam had once done. He came begging and crying back to God repenting for his sin. In verse 4 he says, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight". We can sense his agony here, his total surrender, his complete acceptance of what he had done was wrong.

As he was praying such he also asks to be cleaned by hyssop which is our discussion today.

What is hyssop?
Hyssop is a herb that was commonly used by the Israelites during their ceremonial cleansing and sprinkling. It is an emblem of purification process, purification from sin, purification from leprosy and the like.

Deep cleaning
David understood his heart needed a thorough cleaning with such importance as that of a ceremonial cleansing and so he requests thus. Let us pause right there. We too need such a cleansing. Many times we have taken things for granted and have valued ourselves a little too high. Let us open it all up today, let us come clean revealing the darkest deepest parts of our inmost being and make sure they are cleansed white as snow.

All we need to do is to ask. Happy cleansing to us all!