David.
A man after God’s own heart.
He loved God, yet he sinned.
Again, and again and even Again.
Some scholars believe the 38th Psalm was written after the death of Uriah. King David had sent him to the front lines of a battle so that he would be killed…all to hide the sin that he had committed with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.
Nathan, the prophet, confronted David about his sin by giving him a parable:
“And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.”
David was furious when he heard this story! He replies with the righteous anger of a king:
“As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die… And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.” 2 Samuel 12:1-7.
Guilty!
David has been found out. God had revealed it to the prophet and he could no longer hide his sin.
So what did he do? Argue with Nathan and insist he wasn’t “the man”?
Did he try to pin the blame on someone else?
Or maybe, he wanted to blame Bathsheba…if she hadn’t been bathing on that roof this never would have happened!
No, David didn’t do any of those things. He went to prayer.
“O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure… There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.”
There was no rest for David as long as there was a “breach” between him and his God!
But David knew where his forgiveness would come from, he knew if he would humble himself, admit his sin and ask for help, he would find a Savior.
Have you been there?
Have you been pronounced “GUILTY” and all in a moment’s time been brought to your knees?
We all have when we discover our sin.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-3.
No condemnation!
No continual whispering in the ear from the father of lies!
No reminders from Almighty God, who has the power to give and take life!
There is only forgiveness. Complete forgiveness, never to be remembered against you again.
Sometimes there are consequences from our sin. The child born to David and Bathsheba died. But God forgave them because of their humility and prayer.
Don’t let the enemy convince you that your sin is too great. Nothing is too big for our God!
There is no need to be robbed of joy and peace when Jesus is waiting to forgive.
“Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.” Psalm 38:21.
Like David, pour out your heart to Him and ask Him to remember you.
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Thank you Lisa! So happy you stopped by today.
Beautiful Ruth, in true repentance we find peace…amen!
Yes Lisa, we ARE that man! Thankful Christ has paid the debt so we don’t have to. Blessings!
Yes Joanne! That I would be teachable….and humble. Valiant traits! Thank you for coming by today. Blessings.
Me too Lyli! Me too. ♥
Wonderful post with such wonderful truths 🙂
Hi there,
How beautifully written. I love this story especially how my parents would tell us when my two brothers and I were younger. In true repentance we find peace at heart…
Blessings and Hugs!!
I’ve always liked that story about Nathan and David. We ARE that man, too. We each have sinned. But yes, yes, yes, there is NO condemnation for us in Christ. That’s the best news ever! Thanks for sharing this today!
David gives us such an example of how we should bow quickly when we realize our sin. Not to leave our fellowship with God (or man) in a state of brokenness. Even though he was king, David still remained humble & teachable. Praying that my heart would always be the same. Thank you for these thoughts today.
I am so thankful that Romans 8:1 is in the Bible. 🙂
So true Melissa. He is a great big God. We are blessed.
What a timely message! Nothing is too big for our God! Amen! 🙂
Amen Jessica! God brings peace in our surrender. Blessings!
Appreciate your perspective, Nannette! Really love: “There is no need to be robbed of joy and peace when Jesus is waiting to forgive.”
I agree! I love confirmations. Blessings Morgan!
I admit to getting some worry in there sometimes before I turn it over to God! But we keep trying to trust Him first, especially when we fall. Blessings Lauren!
I pray that too Sharon! Use the Word as a weapon!! Bind that fear in Jesus’ name and loose the peace of God in its place. Praying for a complete night of sweet rest. ♥
Love that, “humility is key to resting in the heart of our Father”. Blessings, friend.
I think the Spirit was at work in our hearts and minds, Candace Jo, that we came away w/ strikingly similar interpretations. I love when TRUTH speaks into our hearts like that. Thanks so much for sharing and visiting my post. 🙂
Your words are such a beautiful reminder that we must do what David did: PRAY! Prayer, prayer, prayer. I usually turn to prayers of thanksgiving right away, but I need to pray these kinds of prayers for forgiveness, too. Thank you for such a beautiful devotional!
For some reason, the enemy has been whispering in my ear lately about some things I did long ago. His whispers have felt like clubs, bashing my heart with guilt that I thought I had let go. It’s led to some insomnia. (He seems to torture me the most at nighttime).
Praise the Lord, I have His forgiveness to use as a response. No longer condemned, I pray for the Holy Spirit to flood me with the Lord’s love, and to talk back to the accuser.
GOD BLESS!
This story always breaks my heart, but I find so much comfort in the humility in the greatest and most powerful man on earth at that time. Humility is key to resting in the heart of our Father. Thanks for the reminder.