A Truly Repentant Heart: How David Dealt With Sin (Part 2)
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
Psalm 51:2-4 (NLT)
The pain of hurting someone you truly love can be unbearable. When a truly caring heart is bruised by our callous behavior, it evokes a lot of guilt within our soul. The sense of guilt is unavoidable until we truly confront the situation with candor. Our guilt is erased only after a true heartfelt apology to the loved one we have hurt and disappointed. That is when we regain trust from the person. That is when we are set free to experience renewed joy in the relationship.
David had hurt God deeply. God had made that clear to him: ". . . I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. . . . I gave you all of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in His eyes?" (2 Samuel 12:7-9). God was speaking to David out of a very hurt heart. He was speaking the language of love. He spoke in terms that David, the recipient of that love, could understand and relate to because David was a man after God’s own heart.
Broken with deep repentance, David was guilt-ridden. David felt impure in light of the trust he had violated. He knew he had rebelled against the God who loved, cared and provided so generously for him. This thought haunted him day and night.
We see another glimpse of the pain David endured when he wrote in Psalm 32, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." It is obvious that David was not functioning with a good conscience and a clear spirit. He knew he could not carry on with that heaviness. So how did David deal with his guilt and sleepless nights?
First: He asked God to wash away his sins and purify him. Until we truly recognize that sin has put us in bondage and is giving us sleepless nights, we will never truly ask God to set us free by cleansing and purifying us. David dealt with his situation by coming clean with God.
Second: David acknowledged that his behavior was evil and that he had sinned directly against God. He did not argue with God. He knew God was right in the way He had judged him.
Many times, we prolong our guilt and agony by refusing to acknowledge that our behavior has been evil. We gloss over it and simply want to move on with life. Such behavior never frees up our spirit to enjoy our relationship with God. This also applies to the relationships around us.
When we feel hurt and bruised by others, it is our godly responsibility to point those things out in a transparent manner just like God confronted David with his sins. By the same token, when our behavior has been awful toward those who care about us, we must be honest and transparent enough to acknowledge it and not gloss over it. Valuable relationships can easily be destroyed by our refusal to deal with issues in a transparent manner.
David had hurt God deeply. God had made that clear to him: ". . . I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. . . . I gave you all of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in His eyes?" (2 Samuel 12:7-9). God was speaking to David out of a very hurt heart. He was speaking the language of love. He spoke in terms that David, the recipient of that love, could understand and relate to because David was a man after God’s own heart.
Broken with deep repentance, David was guilt-ridden. David felt impure in light of the trust he had violated. He knew he had rebelled against the God who loved, cared and provided so generously for him. This thought haunted him day and night.
We see another glimpse of the pain David endured when he wrote in Psalm 32, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." It is obvious that David was not functioning with a good conscience and a clear spirit. He knew he could not carry on with that heaviness. So how did David deal with his guilt and sleepless nights?
First: He asked God to wash away his sins and purify him. Until we truly recognize that sin has put us in bondage and is giving us sleepless nights, we will never truly ask God to set us free by cleansing and purifying us. David dealt with his situation by coming clean with God.
Second: David acknowledged that his behavior was evil and that he had sinned directly against God. He did not argue with God. He knew God was right in the way He had judged him.
Many times, we prolong our guilt and agony by refusing to acknowledge that our behavior has been evil. We gloss over it and simply want to move on with life. Such behavior never frees up our spirit to enjoy our relationship with God. This also applies to the relationships around us.
When we feel hurt and bruised by others, it is our godly responsibility to point those things out in a transparent manner just like God confronted David with his sins. By the same token, when our behavior has been awful toward those who care about us, we must be honest and transparent enough to acknowledge it and not gloss over it. Valuable relationships can easily be destroyed by our refusal to deal with issues in a transparent manner.
Prayer: Father, I acknowledge that there are many things I have done wrong without acknowledging them. Please help me to deal with those situations both with you and in the relationships around me. Amen.
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