Sept. 7

Psalm 51

David is known for being a man after God's heart.  In his Psalms we often find him crying to out to God for help because he's under attack by an army, or hiding from Saul, but in this Psalm he is under attack by his own conscious. Nathan holds up a mirror to David and he doesn't like what he sees.  Not only has he sinned against Bathsheba, he sinned against her husband and Yahweh.  Uriah can't pass judgement. Bathsheba won't pass judgement, but David knows God can and will pass judgement on him.  So David cries out and appeals to the very character and nature of the God he loves. God is love and David is trusting and asking that God display mercy based on His character.  David knows only God's compassion can blot out his transgressions. It's not that David isn't aware of right and wrong behavior.  He just didn't make the right choice. Haven't we all been there?   On speaking of sexual immorality, Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 6:12 that not everything is beneficial, even though we think we might have a right to do it. Maybe David should have spoken with the Apostle first.  David shows us though that we too can be people after God's heart, even when we make wrong choices.  First, we acknowledge our sin. "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me" (V.3).  Then, we repent and ask God to purify our heart,as only He can (v.10) David knew that there would be consequences for his wrong choice, but he was more afraid of the ultimate punishment, that God would take His Holy Spirit from him. Without God, we are nothing. We've all made mistakes, but God loves us more than any mistake we've made.  I pray we all take time today in prayer and worship and allow God, who loves us all, to fill us as only He can.  All God wants is our hearts.

Randi