Loving God from the Heart V

In order for their to be growing and lasting intimacy in any relationship, we must deal with breaks and disagreements between each other. With God, it is dealing with our sins and asking forgiveness, so that the love relationship is restored. There is only one Psalm for today's study. Psalm 51 is written following David's most horrendous sin, actually a set of sins. Not only did David feed his lust for another woman, he used his power inappropriately to set up his sexual encounter, had an affair with her and worst of all, set up a contract murder on Uriah, the woman's husband. David is confronted by his sin in II Samuel 12 by the prophet Nathan. I recommend you read that passage. How could such a powerful, gifted and spiritual man be this blatant and vicious? One of the key ingredients in sin is self-deception. We are right to call for judgment on David, but are we willing to see ourselves in him?

Psalm 51

Sometimes what we need is someone to hold a moral and spiritual mirror in front of us so we can see our actions and our motivations for what they are. Once Nathan did that for David, he was free to come clean with God. He begins "Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me." He acknowledges that his sin against others is also a sin against God. He who in his power saw himself as above the law finds that, no matter how much he wants to ignore it, he is accountable, especially to God. He knows what he deserves - to be cut off from God entirely. So he desparately begs God not to cast him away or take the Holy Spirit from him.

This Psalm is a prayer of repentance. It is a good model for all of us: expressing his need, confessing his sin (not rationalizing a thing), realizing the seriousness of what he has done and the horrible consequences, and then determining to do better. In some ways, we could say that David is just being contrite because he was caught, like many people who participate in forms of abuse. But he seems very aware that he must have help from God. God will need to create a new heart, renew his Spirit, and give him forgiveness.

As you read this Psalm, has there been any issues raised between you and God about your actions, words or motivations? Perhaps there have and you wonder if God could forgive you. You have seen the dark side of yourself and you are embarrassed. But notice the roll call of those who have been forgiven by God in scripture: Adam and Eve, Cain (the murderer), Jacob (the swindler), Saul/Paul (the persecutor), and David (the harrasser, the adulterer, the contract murderer, and the hider of it all). There are others, but you get the message. God's grace is greater than our sin and our guilt. His light is greater than our darkness.

This Psalm is David's new beginning. There were still consequences for what he did, but he did find forgiveness and reconciliation with God. I may not have committed adultery or done a contract murder, but I have embarrassed myself and disappointed God with my actions and motivations. It wasn't pleasant to face the darkness in my life. And while there were consequences, I have found the grace of God to be astonishingly great. And it was the next step in a deeper love relationship with God. My prayer is that you will find the courage to come clean with God, to claim the grace that is offered, to determine to do better and let him give you a clean heart. There is nothing like it. And all of us need it more than we realize.

Have a great day.