Each week that we serve in the park, we experience God in different ways. This morning our scripture was Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a pure heart, O Lord, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” The team member who shared the devotion explained to those gathered that King David wrote this psalm after the prophet Nathan confronted David about his affair with Bathsheba. These heartfelt words show David’s acknowledgment of his sin and his desire for forgiveness. There is such encouragement in the transparency of this passage—God knows everything we have done, but He wants us to come clean. It’s at this point when we recognize the Lord that healing begins. It’s also encouraging to note that scripture tells us that David was called “a man after God’s own heart” despite the many “big” sins he committed.

How amazing to see the love God had for this very human king! The great news is this: God feels the same about us, that’s why He sent Christ to save us. What hope comes from this realization! Today the needs we saw represented in the park were more overwhelming than usual and we struggled with feelings of inadequacy. But even as the Evil One tried to derail our thoughts, our gracious Father showed us that what we are doing isn’t about us and what we can bring to the table (literally and philosophically)—it is for His glory alone. We are called to reach out and share the love of Christ with those society sees as unworthy. The truth is, we are all unworthy. But praise God, He loved us so much that He provided a way to save us from our sinful selves.

Thank you for your continued prayers for this ministry and those we seek to serve.