"Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." -Psalm 51:10
This is from Psalm 51. I know a lot of you just checked out: "Oh, he's quoting the Bible-so boring and dull." -- I know you're thinking it. But hopefully you haven't clicked away to go search for iPods or Christmas presents on Google™ yet. Seriously, take a second and think about this. I'll preface it for you.
Ok David the king of the country is writing this, but he is writing it directly after he committed adultery with Bathsheba. She was out taking a bath (yeah that means she was naked, guys) and he was on the roof, where he should never have been in the first place because the army is out in a war & he should have been leading them...he's the king remember? Not only that, he then sent her husband to the front lines of this war so that he would get killed (which he did). So now he's sitting in his palace after he's knocked up this woman and killed her husband having someone play him harp music with the servants using those big leafy things to fan him, ok so maybe the leafy part's a stretch. Ok I know you're thinking what a jerk; I'd like to teach him a lesson or let's put him on the front lines of the battle. Which is what I'd think too.
But back to the two wrongs don't make a right part. So Nathan the prophet (a messenger from God) hears about it, comes to the palace, and confronts David -- basically tells him what a sack of trash he's being-- and David finally admits it & he's truly sorry for what he has done so he sits down and writes the above. Now when I blow it big time I know that my response is not to immediately sit down and beg for God's mercy. It's usually run and hide for as long as I can until I've done my "time" and then I'll wander back to God with my tail tucked and take my punishment right? Wrong. Two wrongs don't make a right, so a sinful response to sin is just a bigger mess. It'd be like if one of my kids wet the bed and I go in there and see it but instead of cleaning it up I just pull the covers up and hide it. Later it's going to stink pretty bad, huh? In the same way, a sinful response to sin stinks pretty bad. I should have the same response as David did to all of my mess ups. Instead of running and hiding I should go to God and tell him I've messed it up and ask for his help. The same way my son comes to me and tells me he's had an accident and there's a mess. I don't beat him down & rub his nose in it. I love my son so I go in and clean it up for him. David is crying out to God help me! Clean up this mess I've made. Make it right so that you'll be honored. You can go read on the rest of the chapter (Psalm 51) where David talks about how he's messed it up, and how he's asking God for help.
If you want to read the whole story, which is probably equivalent to a lot of rated R movies movies out there, then you can go read 2 Samuel chapters 11 & 12. You can even read it online if you want.
All scripture taken from:
English Standard Version (ESV) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.
