In our final interview with the heroes of our faith, we find ourselves in the presence of royalty. May I introduce you to King David?
LA: Sir, it is a pleasure to have you, a man after God’s own heart, with us today.
David: Thank you. The Bible does record God calling me a man after His own heart, however, I could just have easily been known as one over whom sin prevailed. It is all about perspective.
LA: Would you elaborate for us?
David: I started out well. I sought God and His direction for my life. He allowed me to do great things for His Name. Then, I became full of myself; self-centered and self-indulgent. I forgot who was really King and I fell into horrible sin. I commited adultery and murder (1 Samuel 11) and brought down a terrible curse on my family. God said that the sword would never depart from my family, and indeed it did not. My sons and daughters paid a high price for my sin.
LA: Yes, I do remember those stories. God always keeps His promises, yet when those promises involve curses rather than blessing, it is a difficult thing.
David: After Nathan confronted me about my sins of adultery and murder, I felt so ashamed. I felt as if I could never face the world again. I was the king of Israel, yet I had acted like one who did not know God; a pagan. I was humiliated at my actions.
LA: I can certainly identify with those feeling, your Majesty. I, too, have done things that I Iook back on and think, “What was I thinking? How can God love me after that?”
David: You know I wrote many songs, ma’am? Psalm 51 was the anguished cry of my heart when my sin was exposed. I was not distraught because I had been caught, but rather because I had broken relationship with my God, the God of my fathers. I had walked so sweetly with Him for so many years and then with one decision, that fellowship was broken. I was miserable and had been for months, but had not been willing to acknowledge it.
LA: God certainly does not let us be happy in our sin, does He?
David: No, He does not. Once I confessed and repented of my sins, that fellowship was restored, but it took me a long time to understand that God did not constantly think of me as a murderer and an adulterer. He considered me washed clean because of my confession and repentance. As I said at the beginning, it is all about perspective. I had a choice to make: would I live the rest of my life under false condemnation or would I live as a forgiven man of God who once again walked in sweet fellowship with God?
LA: I completely understand, sir. On this side of the cross of Jesus, once we confess our sins, God says that He remembers those sins NO MORE. Even though we cannot forget them, God does. When God looks at us, He sees us through the blood of Jesus, forgiven and washed clean. Now, our enemy, Satan, tries very hard to make us live in shame over our sins, but he just needs to be reminded that our sin was nailed to the cross with Jesus and we have a ‘Not Guilty” sign hanging around our necks.
David: Grace is a wondrous thing, ma’am. The Bible says that the angels don’t understand it. God gives us what we do not deserve.
LA: Absolutely. So, King David, your legacy includes believing that God means it when He says He washes away your sin and remembers it no more. Your sin and shame were taken away when you confessed and repented and you never had to walk in shame over it. Thank you for being with us today.
MEDITATION MOMENT: We have all made sinful choices and found ourselves up to our ears in the consequences of those choices. Have you asked God to forgive you for that sin? We all have to live with the consequences of our sin, but we do not have to live in shame over the sin. God is faithful to forgive us if we will only ask. Once we ask, then we must walk in that forgiveness, regardless of whether we feel forgiven or not. Thank God today for forgiving you and washing you clean from your sin. Ask Jesus to help you overcome any shame you might feel over the sin. He will!
Thank you for joining me for this series on faith. Have a blessed Resurrection week!
