Cleanse, Keep and Turn
O Lord, strong and mighty, Lord of hosts and King of glory: Cleanse our hearts from sin, keep our hands pure, and turn our minds from what is passing away; so that at the last we may stand in Your Holy place and receive your blessing; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
In the above Collect for the day, there are three very important things that we are “asking” of God. The first is to “Cleanse our hearts from sin.” It seems to me that this is the heartfelt cry from within that comes when we dare to look at the many ways in which we miss the mark in relationship to the godly life we are called to lead as found in scripture. During the season of Lent, we are invited to hit the pause button on life, to slow down and to take a prayerful look at where we are in our life’s journey as children of God. And, as a part of the inventory process, we are challenged to acknowledge to ourselves and to God that we fall short of His desires for us to live holy and righteous lives.
The second “ask” is “to keep our hands pure.” For me, I hear the words for the general confession sounding in my head. You know that phrase about my/our “thoughts, words, and deeds.” It is that reminder that God desires our purity and fidelity not only in what we do, but in every aspect of our lives, including what we think and what we say.
And that third “ask” covers a multitude of problems (sins). We pray that the Lord of Hosts, the King of glory will turn our minds from what is passing away. In this life, it is easy to focus on “stuff.” All the way back in Deuteronomy Chapter 8, there is a warning about dwelling on one’s ability to accumulate things: Deuteronomy 8:17, “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth; that he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as at this day.”
Note that I have found that my days are more peace-filled when I focus on God’s love and grace poured out on me rather than fretting over my accumulation of stuff, or lack thereof.
In closing, I invite you to pray the Collect for today once again and to consider adding the prayer to your daily devotional as a part of your Lenten discipline. Grace and peace to you and may you have a blessed Lenten season.
