A Heart for God
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17He’d sinned. He let his thoughts get the best of him and unfortunately he acted on his impulse that led to deep sorrow. That sorry didn’t occur until Nathan the prophet confronted him. His name was David. It is a familiar story often examined, discussed and preached. He was a King but before he was a king he was a shepherd, the slayer of Goliath, a musician for King Saul, anointed King by the prophet Samuel, a man wise in speech and brave in battle and a man after God’s own heart. But he failed. How can God possibly esteem him with such high regard?One can only imagine how David must have felt. But the only way anyone could experience the remorse, the sadness, and the loneliness David felt is in having your own deep love and committed relationship to God. It must have been terrible when David realized he had disappointed God, the one He loved. In his confession he said “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just (Psalm 51:4).”When emotions get the best of you, there is a strong possibility of reacting without thinking. You do things that you normally would not do and the feelings or sensations derived take over your mind and before you know it, sin takes hold. It’s easier than you think and it can happen to anyone at anytime. Just take a look around, sin is everywhere, however if you love God and I mean truly, truly love God, His Spirit convicts you and you will respond as David responded. David was broken and expressed sincere heartfelt repentance.We are incapable of doing the right thing. “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it (Romans 7:18-20)”.Thanks to our God we no longer need to walk in the flesh but as born again believers, we walk by His spirit! He convicts, leads us to repentance, and then restores.If you’ve fallen away from God’s will He beckons you back and He is ready, willing, and waiting to redeem you and establish you into the relationship He desires.“There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1What great love He has for us!!