Ready to forgive

It is well known that King David succumbed to a horrible sin, committing adultery and covering it with murder. Now, we know that David was filled with the Holy Spirit, so he must have felt miserable.

The prophet Nathan came to confront him by saying : "You have drawn the reproach on the name of God." David could no longer carry the weight of the horrible acts he had perpetrated and he immediately confessed and repented . While he was still crying, Nathan reassured him : "The Lord forgive your sin, you will not die" (2 Samuel 12:13).

Yet hearing that assurance was not enough for David. You see, it's one thing to be forgiven, but it's another to be free and pure before God. David knew that forgiveness was the easy part. Now he wanted to restore things with God, to be able to regain his joy. Then he shouted : "Do not reject me far from your face, do not take away your holy spirit" (Psalms 51:11).

Psalm 51 was written when David remembered the merciful and patient nature of God. In the opening verse, he calls on God's tender forgiveness : "O God ! have mercy on me in your goodness ; According to your great mercy, erase my transgressions."

David knew exactly what to do. He shouted to God, "When an unhappy man shouts, the LORD hears, and saves him from all his trouble" (34: 6).

"The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cries. When the righteous cry, Jehovah hears, and delivers them out of all their distress" (Psalms 34: 15,17).

Dear saint, your victory over every battle is to learn to have that confidence: no matter how much you have fallen, you are serving a Lord who is ready to forgive. Indeed, He longs to heal you. He has more kindness to you than you need.

David Wilkerson