Character CheckSample

HOPE FOR OUR BROKENNESS

In 2 Samuel, David finally becomes the king of Israel. David was a successful king, and the Lord even made a covenant promise to him. However, David committed adultery with a woman named Bathsheba and arranged for her husband’s death (2 Samuel 11). The Lord was displeased with what David had done and he confessed to the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12). While David was a man after God’s own heart, he was human like the rest of us and missed the mark. 

The way to be a person of integrity in a sinful world is not to aim for perfection, but to continually return to a place of repentance.

 Repentance is turning away from sin, disobedience, or rebellion, and turning back to God. David models a process of repentance for us in Psalm 51, which he wrote regarding this exact story. Psalm 51:1-6 is David’s confession. He recognizes his sin against God and asks for mercy because of the Lord’s unfailing love and compassion. Psalm 51:7-11 captures how David allowed his heart to be cleansed and purified from sin. Psalm 51:12-19 is David’s consecration, or dedication, to the Lord again.

Repentance is a fitting place to land our study of integrity, since we will not always get it right. We tend to feel intimidated by the concept of integrity because we are aware of our own brokenness, but the good news is the love and mercy of God covers every one of our failures. When our integrity is being threatened, we can come to God for the strength we need to persevere. When our integrity has been compromised, we can repent and receive the grace God freely extends to each of us. Aiming for integrity provides us with protection, guidance, and redemption. More than anything, living with integrity honors God and turns others towards Him.

How is God calling you to walk with integrity moving forward?