Did not one God create us?
Malachi 2:10

I do not have one creative bone in my body. When I walk into an arts and crafts fair, or worse yet, a craft store, I feel like I am going to hyperventilate. I am gifted in other areas, but somebody else got my portion of creativity.

Did you know that the Bible uses two different words for ‘create’ in the Old Testament? One word in Hebrew is yatsur, and it means to be formed out of something. The second is bara, meaning to breathe into existence; to make out of nothing. In Genesis 2:19, God yatsur (created) out of the ground all the beasts of the field. But in Genesis 1:27, God bara (created) man in his own image…Isn’t that beautiful?

But here’s where it gets better: I was so surprised to learn that in Psalm 51:10, Create in me a clean heart, O God, David uses the bara version of create. This is significant to me because I previously considered this verse to be asking God to scrub up my heart, cleaning it well…because it is sure to get dirty again. Instead, I learn that God wants to breathe into me a new heart, not just redo what I messed up. Isn’t this refreshing?

Ezekiel 36:26 echoes this concept: 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.

Why do I need a new heart, a clean, pure heart? My fleshly heart is corrupted by sin, distracted by the world’s allures, and polluted by unworthy desires. I want the Lord to do what David asks in Psalm 86:11, Give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name. A pure heart is wholly His. An undivided heart is untainted by selfish desires. A clean heart yearns only for the things He yearns for.

Give me THAT, O God, I pray!

Jill Hardin