Anothen Fast – Day 4

Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.

-Psalm 51:10

Today’s focus is extremely internal. The past few days we’ve observed David’s heart cry to God for the renovation of his life. Today we will focus on the location of the need for a renovation. The location was inside. Inside of David needed the renovation. The outside was weary, sure. But to exclusively fix the outside while neglecting the inside would be no good.

Check out what Jesus has to say on the need of a clean heart:

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matt23.25-28

In the society we live in, it is easy to slip into the mindset that the external is king. That is far from the truth though. Jesus calls out the Pharisees on appearing alive and well on the outside but actually being dead on the inside.

David knew what the Pharisees did not, he needed an inside renovation before there would be any external fruit of that renovation. If the inside was dead, so too would the outside be in time.

As you continue the fast, ask the Lord to move from the inside out. You’ll absolutely love the fruit that is produced from that work of the Holy Spirit.