TO CHEW ON: "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise." Psalm 51:17
After Nathan had talked to David, he felt terrible. Now he knew how seriously God took what he had done. It wasn’t just some little "mistake." It was sin – adultery, lying, murder. He felt guilty. He felt dirty. He felt sad. He felt afraid that God wouldn’t be his friend any more. He was very sorry.
David wrote his thoughts and feelings in Psalm 51.
1. Even though David had killed Uriah, whom had he sinned against the most? ____ (Psalm 51:4)
2. What did David ask God to do for him (Psalm 51:7-12)?
A. Create a new heart in him.
B. Let him be happy again.
C. Help him be more clever at covering his sins next time.
D. Wash and cleanse him.
E. Give him the will to obey God.
F. Take all temptation away from him.
David knew that God wanted more than sacrifices. God wanted a different attitude inside. He wanted a broken heart and a broken and contrite spirit. David felt that way. He knew God would forgive him.
Still, there would be consequences to what he had done. A man had been killed. There was a baby on the way. And God had said David’s family would never be the same. Even though God forgave him, David would still have to bear the consequences of his sin.
PRAYER: Dear God, I too want a pure heart and the will to obey You. Amen.
MORE: Signs of ‘Sorry’
Has God brought to your memory some sin that you need to deal with? Perhaps you’ve realized for the first time how seriously God takes what you did. Now you feel like David – guilty, dirty, sad, sorry. What can you do? Here are some things:
1. Confess your sin to God. He has promised to forgive you and make you clean again. (1 John 1:9)
2. Ask yourself, who was injured by my sin? Do I need to ask any person for forgiveness or repay something I’ve stolen, or make right a lie I told? Then do what you need to do.
3. Now ask God to give you a heart that is sensitive to the things that please and displease Him.
Answers
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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