I Have Sinned

"Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense. Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me. For I know my offense; my sin is always before me." - Psalm 51:3-5

King David had done a terrible thing. He went against his conscience, sinning against God, and bringing upon himself tragic consequences from the sins he had committed. If you read Psalm 51 in its entirety, you really feel the pain and regret that haunted him over what he had done. His sins cost him dearly, even the life of his child, but even though he was suffering the consequences, he wasn't as upset about that as he was about having offended God. He betrayed the One who gave him life and had always protected him since his youth (remember his battle against Goliath?), and that hurt David deeply. He needed to be forgiven and he humbled himself before God.

Here's a question for you - when you sin against God and face the consequences of your sins, how do you react? Many of us seek forgiveness because the consequences have hurt us. We then become angry that we've asked for forgiveness to God and God doesn't magically make all the misery we've created for ourselves go away. I'm sorry, but it doesn't work that way. We need to be more humble. We need to be more like King David and realize that our actions are ours alone. The Lord puts before us right and wrong, what leads to life and what leads to death. If we choose to do what's wrong, we are on our own down that path. We cannot expect God to scoop us up and erase all we've done just because it's not going as we expected. Remember, David felt pain because he had sinned against God and admitted he deserved all the bad his actions brought upon him. He knew he deserved it and didn't get angry. Instead, he faced it all and kept asking for God's forgiveness and took steps towards his redemption. God, who knows our hearts, knows why we turn to Him. If we are sincerely sorry and honestly mean to return to Him, then, and only then, will He make straight our crooked paths.

Today's Prayer:
Father, I've sinned against You and can't pick myself up on my own. Like David asked You, I also ask You to please create in me a new heart that only seeks to do right by You. Help me with the consequences of my actions and to never sin against You again. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Lumineux: Letting God's Light Shine
www.lettinggodslightshine.com