A couple times a year, Rocky offers a worship night for our folks to enjoy. This past Friday evening was one of those special times. The worship team leads us in a time of reflection and of course, we worship.

I was at the information area during the service, so I didn’t get into the worship auditorium, but I was still able to worship through the monitors in the lobby. We sang several encouraging songs, but the one that caught my heart was “Give Us Clean Hands.”

It’s so easy for us to do the opposite of what this song expresses. We hold onto parts of our heart that we don’t want to change. We bow our knees to things and people that we put before God. Our hands are not clean and our hearts are not pure. We don’t look away from evil things. We are prideful. We don’t seek God. And we have given our souls to the ways of this world.

I suspect instead of using terms like “our” and “we,” I should have used personal terms like “I” or “my.” But if I know anything about human nature, I’m sure you can say the same thing.

So what are we (or what am I) going to do about it?

If we want to truly have clean hands, pure hearts and a humble spirit, we must truly seek God. He must be the focus for our hearts, minds and bodies. His ways must become our ways. His thoughts must become our thoughts. Our lives must be His.

I’m reading a book on leadership and in her book, “The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership,” Jenni Catron says that “Leading with your soul means living your life with the convictions of your faith as guiding principles for the decisions you make and the actions you take.”[i]

That is how we are to live our lives. Faith must direct our thoughts and actions. And when it does, we are able to stand before our Creator with clean hands and pure hearts.

As we read through these lyrics and listen to this song, I pray that the Holy Spirit will show us the holes that the evil one is using to infiltrate our lives. I pray that we will allow the Holy Spirit to plug up those holes with God’s grace and unfailing love. And I pray that we will turn from all that is evil and run to the arms of our heavenly Father.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24 – NIV)

“Give Us Clean Hands”[ii]

We bow our hearts, we bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes from evil things
Oh Lord we cast down our idols

So give us clean hands and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh give us clean hands and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another

Oh God let this be a generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob
Oh God let us be a generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, oh God of Jacob

You can listen to this song by clicking here.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

[i] “The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership,” Jenni Catron, Nelson Books, 2015, page 88-89.

[ii] “Give Us Clean Hands,” words and music by Charlie Hall, sixsteps Music, 2000.