Effective physicians are never satisfied with merely looking
at the symptoms of a disease. They want to know what
is going on inside the sick person and discover what triggers
these symptoms. Modern medicine has invented several
instruments to examine the inner workings of a human body.
Thus the medical world uses x-rays, scans of different types,
and laparoscopy to understand our inner workings.
God, like a good physician, wants to examine our
“inward being.” God’s only instrument is a nudge to kickstart
human willingness to open up. That is why the book
of Revelation presents Jesus as saying, “I am standing at the
door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I
will come in to you” (3:20). The psalmist willingly opens the
door. He knows that God desires “truth in the inward being”
and therefore pleads with God to teach him wisdom in his
secret heart.
Only when we make the request, “Purge me,” does God
come to clean us up. Only when we say, “Wash me,” will
God step in to do so. Only when we utter, “Create in me a
clean heart,” does God come to “put a new and right spirit”
within us. When God calls us to new venues of obedience,
God waits for our reply, “Yes, Lord.” The Holy Spirit’s presence
in us perennially calls us to follow God’s path. When we
say yes to the Spirit, we discover that our joy is restored and
“a willing spirit” is sustained in us.
This psalm does not end with pleas for a renewed life
alone; it ends with praise to God and a resolution to sing
aloud God’s deliverance. When we say yes to God’s forgiveness,
we sing God’s salvation not only through words but
with our whole lives.

By M. Thomas Thangaraj from The Upper Room: 60 Days of Prayer for General Conference 2016