And renew a steadfast spirit within me

‘And renew a steadfast spirit within me.’ — Yer. 105.

11/ HEN God creates a clean heart, then the man is born again. He is indeed a new creature. He has received the new life, the love of God.

It is nevertheless not enough that a man should receive the new life. It must grow and be strengthened. A weak child is really a living human creature, and yet much remains which has to be done to him in order to preserve and nourish and lead that life until he comes to the full stature of a man. A weak child can stand and run; but he must also learn to stand fast, and his goings must also be established.

And this is what David here now prays for. He desires, not only the new life with the clean heart, but also a steadfast spirit That new life and that purity of heart are at the outset weak and tender. Very much has yet to be done in order to make it grow. The creation of God was not completed in one day: so also in the creation of a clean heart, time is needed before everything is finished, and man enters upon his Sabbath, his divine rest. And because in the new creation, after God has implanted the first principle of life, man must vrillingly co-operate with God, so it is necessary that he should with a steadfast spirit surrender himself to the Lord and His work. The beginning of the new creation does not depend upon a steadfast spirit, but certainly the progress of it does, and also the greater or less glory with which the creation shall be brought to completion.

Great loss may be incurred by separating these two prayers from one another. They are inwardly bound up with one another. He who is content when he thinks he has received a new heart, and does not then also strive with a steadfast spirit and with a resolute will to guard what he has received, and does not endeavor to use and to increase what God has bestowed upon him, will speedily have to mourn that the joy of the clean heart has become lost. He who, on the other hand, works and prays for this steadfast spirit, shall have gloriously manifested within him by this means purity of heart and the splendor of the new creation, the full certitude and power of his heavenly birth.

We must also pray that God would give to us a steadfast spirit.. Steadfast is the opposite of weak, uncertain, changeable, variable. What stands fast cannot be moved or overthrown. Such a spirit must be asked for from God in prayer. At the same time we must nevertheless also observe in what ways God works and bestows this blessing.

And this is the first thing that strikes us: 6 Faith is a sure foundation? He who stands upon it shall not be moved. Therefore we read (Ps. exii. 8) of the righteous man: ‘His heart is established, trusting in the Lord ‘; and therefore Peter writes (1 Pet. v, 9), ’ steadfast in your faith,’ and Paul (Col. i. 23), 4 continue in the faith grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel.’ In Hebrew the word ’ believe ’ comes from a word which means to he steadfast, to standfast; and the word 6 believe’ just means to continue steadfast. Since God Himself is a steadfast Rock, the foundation of all certitude and steadfastness, it must be by faith or cleaving fast to God that man can become steadfast. If you would know what you ask of God when you pray for a steadfast spirit, this is the answer: the more that you cleave to God and commit yourself to His word and counsel, the mo* e steadfast shall you stand. And if you would know how God will bestow this steadfast spirit upon you, this is the answer: by the word. Let the word of God be your food: let it be inwardly assimilated and appropriated by you; let it penetrate you wholly; let it be flesh and blood to your spirit. Strive by it to think what God thinks, to will what God wills, in everything to be of the same mind that God is, to grow by His word in you, to have it dwelling in you; then you shall be established. In all your wishes and expectations, in all your desires and efforts, let what God has said be your rule, and a steadfast spirit will be renewed in you. If the word of God is thus the rock of your confidence, you will be just as little moved as there is variableness or shadow of turning with God.

By what means, pray, was it that Abraham became strong in the faith in the midst of so many severe trials? The root of his steadfastness was the promise of God. And whence was it, too, that Caleb and Joshua stood so firmly in the midst of the hundreds of thousands of Israel? They held fast by the word of God. And how was it so also with many other believers? The answer is simple: 6 They that trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abideth for ever’ (Ps. cxxv. 1). It is God found in His word in whom the spirit obtains its steadfastness and strength.

And if you would know further how a steadfast spirit will manifest itself, the answer is not difficult: in the resoluteness of a steadfast will exercising dominion over the spirit and the walk. The great defect of many believers, when they have the new heart, is that they do not set themselves with a steadfast and resolute choice to east out sin and do the will of God. They do not actually obey the dictates of their conscience, the inward voice of the Spirit and the word: they do not unreservedly surrender themselves actually to do the will of God as soon as they know it. It is fitting surely that there should be in every believer the holy purpose of doing the will of God without delay as soon as it is known. On this point may no uncertainty prevail: for there are many double-hearted souls who are unstable in all their ways. A divided heart makes them continually waver.

For all such it is necessary to remember that along with the new heart and along with a sense of sin and good desire, there must also be a steadfast spirit which will be resolute, and which will set itself positively to fulfill all the commands of God. This steadfast spirit must be made a matter of much prayer: ‘Kenew a steadfast spirit within me’; and at the same time of much exercise in the strife against sin. He who seeks for it in prayer shall certainly become partaker of it, and he shall be able to join in David’s song of deliverance (Ps. xl. 2) —

1 He took ine from a fearful pit,

And from the miry clay,
And on a rock He set my feet,
Establishing my way/

Header, do not forget it, In the prayer for grace, in the life of grace, the steadfast spirit must have a place. The young tree must not only be planted, but must become deeply rooted, otherwise it can bear no fruit. Let it therefore be a continual prayer with you: 6 Make my footsteps steadfast in Thy word, and let ’ — observe what shall be the fruit of this — and ’ let not any iniquity have dominion over me.’