“Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the Lord by doing this, your child will die.’”
2 Samuel 12:13-14
Since Adam, we ALL have experienced the pain of sin. King David’s sin story sounds like a television soap opera, and yet we can certainly learn from his responsible actions AFTER committing those sins.
When confronted about his evil behavior, David immediately lamented, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Next, he expressed remorse and sorrow for the loss his actions caused—he laid on the ground without food and cried out to God in anguish. But when the child died, David got up, washed himself, changed clothes, went to the Tabernacle, and worshiped the Lord. After that, he ate food and resumed life.
Far too often we end up in despair after sinning because we keep on rehearsing the evil deed and then burden ourselves with guilt and shame to pay for it! We seem to forget that if we repent, then God has forgiven us, just as He did David. Yes, we and others may experience consequences for that sin, but when God forgives, HE removes ALL guilt and shame!
So, if we are ever tempted to steal those burdens back again, let’s remember David’s most important step after cleansing—he worshipped the Lord! Only as we focus on the One who forgives ALL sin will we see ourselves through HIS eyes—free to live again!
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