I Am David Sample

DAY TWO

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2).

Have you ever been in trouble? Our human nature often prompts us to try to shift the blame and point the finger at someone else. This has been going on since Adam told God that Eve was the one who made him eat the forbidden fruit (see Genesis 3:12).

Other times, we admit our mistakes, but then we let feelings of failure drag us down and convince us that we are worthless. This is not healthy. If we are going to fulfill God’s plan for our lives, then we need to learn how to deal with our mistakes in a healthy, biblical way. 

David made some terrible choices. When he saw Bathsheba, he knew she was another man’s wife, but he still decided to sleep with her. Bathsheba became pregnant, and David tried to make it look like her husband, Uriah, was the father. When that didn’t work, David became desperate and had Uriah killed.

God was very displeased with David’s behavior, and He sent the prophet Nathan to confront him. What was David’s response? “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). David confessed his sin, repented, and accepted the consequences. Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance, and in verse 10 he prays, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” David had to deal with the fallout of his actions, but he did not wallow in his failure. He chose to put his focus back where it needed to be—on the Lord. 

Another important aspect of dealing with failure is rising above the pain of your past. David struggled to have healthy relationships with his children, likely because he did not have a healthy relationship with his own father. Remember, in 1 Samuel 16, Jesse didn’t include David in the gathering of his sons unless Samuel specifically asked for him. 

One person in Scripture who did rise above the pain of her past was Hannah. For years, Hannah was barren, and her empty womb was a source of great pain (especially because her husband’s other wife had multiple children). Hannah could have succumbed to envy and bitterness. Instead, she continued to pray for a son. God heard her prayers, and Hannah gave birth to Samuel, who later became a prophet and anointed David as king. 

What failures or past hurts do you need to release to the Lord today?

Psalm 51