‘Bara’ is a beautiful word from the Bible – which means – create something fresh, unique, or special – out of nothing.
Bara is exclusively used to the attribute to the work of God. God created the world out of nothing, He created man in His own image and He created every living thing (Genesis, chapter 1)
Further on in the Bible, King David pleads with GOD: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
When King David prayed this, he was not asking God to ‘patch up’ his existing heart. In the original Hebrew text, he used the exact same verb Bara used in Genesis 1:1 when God created the universe out of absolutely nothing. David was not just asking for forgiveness and inner renewal, but for a complete spiritual restart.
The reality is that we cannot clean our own hearts through willpower alone. This prayer is an admission of complete spiritual bankruptcy. It acknowledges that we need a radical, supernatural transformation – a brand-new start that only God’s grace can provide.
It is easier for us Christians to project an image of a good life by saying the right things and following all the church rules.
But JESUS desires a truly clean heart – alignment between our secret thoughts and our public actions. It forces you and me to look past our external behaviours and examine our hidden lives.
Our emotions, actions and discipline constantly fluctuate based on our circumstances. But a “steadfast” spirit is one that remains firmly anchored, stable and resilient against the worst kind of temptation.
Remain resolutely fixed on doing what is right, even when it is difficult, exhausting, or unpopular.
Ask JESUS to do that for you. Every day, every moment. Bara, Lord – please help.
#JesusPeople #JesusRenews
