The Man After God's HeartSample

Hearing of the many great works that David has done, one might least expect him to have sinned horribly. Yet, of all the heroics David was known for, he was also an adulterer, having slept with a married woman before murdering her husband, who happened to be one of his 30 close compatriots.

As chapter 12 opens, the prophet Nathan tells David a story about a rich and poor man. Hearing the injustice done to the poor man, David’s anger is kindled against the man (v5); his anger is so great that he even opines that this unsympathetic, rich man deserves to die for his actions (v5b-6).

Little did David know that Nathan was about to confront him for his sin; in a turn of events, Nathan pointed a finger at David, exclaiming that he was the rich man in the story (v7).

When confronted with his sin, one might imagine how David might have felt in the moment: fear, anger, dread, guilt, shame…

Yet, of all the ways David could respond, he responded with a heart of humility, taking responsibility for his sin. In that moment, David realised that more than just sinning against man, he had sinned against God (v13a).

This revelation of his own sin led David to write Psalms 51, presenting before God his own broken, contrite heart (v17), one that God does not despise.

All men sin, including those deemed to be after God’s heart. Yet what set David apart was this: his sin led him to recognise and repent of his own brokenness and realise his deep need for God's grace to restore him. His story reminds us, chiefly, that God is not after perfection in deeds but rather repentance in humility.

May we capture David's genuine heart of repentance. Let us strive towards holiness, responding in humility when our sin is brought before us while remembering the forgiveness God has freely given to us.

Reflection:

Do we recognise the consequences of sin and see all sin as a sin against God?

Read Psalm 51 twice or thrice, and observe a verse that stands out to you. What is God speaking to you through that one verse, and how would you apply it to your own life when confronted with sin? Pray and respond to God.