Create in me a clean heart, O God

The wind was blowing with a blustery intensity and the white caps formed their frothy displays as the ocean waves rolled onto the shore. There were several rows of whitecaps – each breaking at different times, giving the waves a beautiful display of white frothy topping. These peaks were so bubbly and foamy as they rolled onto the beach and remained there for a few moments before they dissipated. Then the pull of the ocean sucked the water back unto itself. All the whitecaps looked so pure white and clean. That was, until they made that final roll into shore. On that final roll I got a close up look at the tiny bubbles; they were not all pearly white as I had first thought. Some were very yellow- dingy and ugly. I was surprised that my up close view was so different from my far away view.

I wondered if Christians aren’t similar to the whitecaps. All Christians have accepted Jesus as their Savior, but are they all allowing Him to be their Lord ? Some Christians may be like that yellow foam- they look good from a distance – attending church or Bible study, doing good works, keeping their vocabulary acceptable and displaying other outward signs of Christianity. But there are inside -things only God sees- (prayer life, intentions of the heart, and one’s personal relationship with God through Jesus) which are most important. To be fully pure and white, like part of the foam I watched rolling in, we must have that personal relationship going and growing all the time.

So, the whitecaps remind me of Christians – some lacking, perhaps, in purity and whiteness upon an inspection of the heart, and others who are sparking in cleanness through and through.

Lord, I pray I am part of the white froth in the whitecaps of your kingdom. If any traces of the yellow froth are in my heart or in my life, I pray you would create in me a clean heart. How about you?

Marion Smith noles65@aol.com