The Saga of Old Faithful Continues

Yesterday’s tractor story—six weeks later:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

The old relic seemed to have met its demise many times, yet after some tweaking, it kept going. But this time, the issue was not merely an overlooked, corroded connection, nor was it a low charge on the battery. Pieces of the old tractor lay strewn about on the lawn, and I wondered if there was any hope of its resurrection one more time. The tractor's age had finally taken its toll, and I thought, This is the end of Old Faithful. It served its purpose for the twenty years we owned it and the countless years for its previous owner; it had fulfilled its duty. But even though the battery still showed signs of life, it was at fault. Once replaced with a new one, Old Faithful was on the move again, performing usual tasks.

Psalm 51 is David’s confession of his sin and plea for God’s forgiveness. He knew that only by God’s power and cleansing could his life be made right again. He needed his feelings and affections made right; he needed a clean heart—a new heart and a right spirit. Your situation may not be like King David’s, but much like Old Faithful, life circumstances have taken their toll. You have faithfully served the Lord in the past, but now pieces of your life lie around you;  you are weary from use but still desire usefulness. You show signs of life, but you feel broken.

The remedy for all three situations is renewal: A new battery resurrected the tractor. A cleansed heart and spirit revived David. Child of God, no matter what caused you to grow weary or drift from God, like David, cry out to your Father for healing. God’s divine power will heal your brokenness and create a new heart and renewed stamina; your feelings and affections are made right before Him. And just like Old Faithful, you can continue fulfilling your life’s purpose.