Psalm 51:10-12 (NRSVUE)
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.
Romans 1:8-17 (NRSVCE)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”
Devotion
In Psalm 51, David’s prayer cuts right to the heart of what it means to come before God honestly: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” There’s something both vulnerable and hopeful in that word “create”—David knows he can’t manufacture this transformation himself. He’s asking God to do something only God can do. And in Romans, Paul writes about the gospel as “the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith,” reminding us that this transformative work is God’s power at work in us, not our own striving. Both passages invite us into a posture of openness, of letting God in to do the deep work of renewal.
Sometimes opening our hearts to God feels as natural as breathing. In moments of beauty, gratitude, or desperation, we find ourselves immediately turning toward God, ready to receive whatever God has for us. But other times? It’s like trying to pry open a rusted door. We know we need God’s renewal, but our hearts feel guarded, distracted, or just plain tired. The shame David expresses in Psalm 51 can make us want to hide rather than open up. The grand theological language of Romans can feel distant when we’re just trying to get through the week. And that’s okay. Lent gives us forty days—not forty minutes—to practice this opening, this turning.
The beautiful thing is that God meets us in both places. Whether your heart swings open easily today or you’re still working the hinges, God is already at work creating something new in you. The “right spirit” we’re seeking isn’t about getting our spiritual lives perfectly aligned before we approach God—it’s about trusting that God can transform us even when we come halting and half-hearted. This Lent, maybe the practice is simply showing up, opening whatever door we can manage on any given day, and trusting God to do the creating.
Prayer
Jesus, you came among us as both divine and human to show us the path of salvation. Help us to create in ourselves the openness we need to accept your grace and create a renewed spirit this Lent. Amen.
Michael Zolandz