It’s was like Lay’s Potato Chips, I Couldn’t Have Just One

When I read the choices for this week’s post at Leah’s, I wondered which Scripture I would choose. Which one to write about? As I’ve read over Galations 5:1 and Psalm 51:10, I could not choose just one.

Have you ever been there with the Lay’s potato chip bag? You know, telling yourself that you are only going to have one and then, several chips later, you close the bag and return it to the pantry? To me, when I read the chip of Psalm 51:10:

“Start over with me, and create a new, clean heart within me.” Passion Translation

and then picked up Galations 5:1:

“It was for this freedom that Christ set us free (completely liberating us); therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery (which you once removed). Amplified

I couldn’t pick just one. In my mind, these two verses have a theme working together. How do I do the standing of Galations 5:1, when I’m in broken and needing the do-over of Psalm 51:10?

Both chapters are rich in wisdom. Rich in love, and rich in the how to do this thing called life because truthfully, so many days, I need the do-over of Psalm 51:10:

“GOD, I did ___________, and my tendency is to stay here and wallow in what I’ve done. Would you please do something with this mess of me? I’m bent over and I feel so many *things* and in me, I can’t get past me. Clean not only my feet LORD, clean all of me. My heart is probably where YOU should start…” Lora version

The nine verses before Psalm 51:10 are where I spend so much of my life: lamenting what I’ve done. Not only did David spend the first nine verses seeking forgiveness; but he felt emotions that I feel:

shame
stains on my conscience
pain and anguish within me
sting of sin against the LORD
judgement
corruption
pollution of my soul
“make this leper clean again” feelings
crushed
hiding
guilt

I’ve been there. And to often, I want to pitch my tent and stay there; because, hey, that is the easiest place to be.  You know? Hiding. Judging. Feeling guilty.  Just telling you how I feel.

But hallelujah! Yes Jesus, there is a second half. After the pivot point of verse 10 where confession is made and asking for the help of GOD, these words consume his hallelujah, his ascent back to SPIRIT life:

pure thoughts
holy desires
ready to please YOU
YOUR Sacred SPIRIT
Passion for life restored
Tasting joy
Breakthrough
“More of YOUR HOLY SPIRIT WIND”
Stand strong and true to YOU
My heart once again thrilled to sing
Songs of righteousness
Overcome with joyous praise
Fountain of YOUR pleasure
Tenderness
Humbly bow down at YOUR feet
Don’t punish others
Showing Favor
Protecting wall
Fully restored
Rejoice
Take delight
Love

Glory! Is that not good? The second half, the half after the confession is an upward spiral to SPIRIT life, not the downhill descent of the enemy’s knife. Glory! So thankful for the second half of this Psalm.

How about you? Where do you find yourself today? Do you find yourself in the emotions of the first nine verses? Are you at the pivotal verse 10 of saying, I have done __________ and I need a do-over GOD?  Or are you starting the upward spiral to HIS heavenly courts by doing the “standing” of Galations 5:1?

The posture of the first nine of Psalm 51:10 is not standing in my opinion. To me, the posture of the first nine is:

bent over
trying to clean my self
crying
painful grimaces
head and neck hanging
looking to the ground
curled up in a ball
rocking
burdened

I can also see the word pictures from the amplified version of Galations 5:1:

hampered
held ensnared
submit again to a yoke of slavery

But can’t you just see when David decides to pivot, to stop the spiral?

“I am not going to stay here. I am going to confess and stand and go forward.” He may have been on a downward spiral; but he stopped and activated his faith and started the ascent.

Come on sisters, let’s join in the ascent
And choose not to remain broken and bent.
Yes, we have made some wrong choices,
But we won’t be defeated by the foes voices.
We will Confess and Repent,
And by the power of standing, we will ascend!

GOD, we do not want to remain in the bend,
In the hold of past sin.
We want to stand,
Because that posture is, YOUR plan!

GOD, YOUR plan is for freedom,
And LORD, I need some!
So I position my self,
No longer sitting on the shelf,
I position my self

To stand
Because that is YOUR plan.
To stand

Help us to stand,
Against the schemes and plans,
That would keep us where we’ve been:
Bound and defeated by sin.

YOU want us to soar!
YOU hold and have so much more!
Let us be soaked in YOUR Word.
Truth needs to be spoken and heard.
Let us be soaked in YOUR Word.

Free us from the despair of our past.
We take hold of the freedom that will last,
By choosing to stand,
Because, that posture, is YOUR plan.

Amen.