Following the Trail of God's Promises: The 40-Day ChallengeSample

29. David's Sin and Repentance

David listens to the story of a rich man who owned many flocks, but when a guest came to him, he did not want to take one of his own animals, but instead he took from a poor man and slaughtered the only sheep that the man had. Without thinking, David condemns him and suggests death. In the next moment, the prophet Nathan confronts him with the fact that this story describes him. What David did was much worse. He killed a man and took his wife. Reading about it, similar thoughts run through my head: “David deserves punishment - he deserves death.” However, just as the story of the sheep was told for David, so the story of David was told for me in order to face my sins. I’m comforted that I didn’t mess up as badly as David, but the Bible is clear - every little sin separates us from God who is perfect. Sin leads to death. It seems depressing, but it has an encouraging ending. Although things could no longer be fixed and the consequences could not be avoided, David was still forgiven. Instead of death, he got life.

In Psalm 51, in which David repents for this sin, he prays that God would restore to him the joy of salvation and renew his spirit. It is a wonderful prayer for every believer. Although aware of our sins, we believe in Jesus who is merciful. He came so that all who believe in Him may have life and not death. And not just mere survival, but a wonderful life with the Creator. In moments when we don’t feel it, we should pray like David: “God, take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation…”