The Bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart. David’s humble beginnings taught him to care for his father’s sheep, yet David recognized the Lord as his shepherd (Psalm 23). David’s greatest moments were crowned with recognition and praise to God almighty. Even his valleys, with their darkness and despair, were marked by a reverence for the Lord and King Saul. However, not every valley was a testing ground.
In his time of idleness, King David was tempted and drawn away of his own lust.
Psalm 51 marks a valley that David had forged himself. The Bible describes a time when kings go to battle, yet king David chose to tarry in the comfort of his kingdom (2 Samuel 11). In his time of idleness, king David was tempted and drawn away of his own lust. This was not the work of a neighboring enemy nation. His own conquering desire led king David down a path to adultery, deceit and murder. David tried to hide his deeds, but when confronted by Nathan the prophet, he confessed his sin against the Lord.
Psalm 51 gives us an intimate look at David’s pleading with the Lord. While God did forgive him (2 Samuel 12:13), David still had to deal with the results of his sin, and he was left with the weight of his own guilt. Two key verses stand out to me in the midst of David’s pleading, David recognized that he had been led away by the wickedness of his own inscrutable heart. He had become a man after his own heart. But David cries out to the Lord, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10) He remembered how God had used him in days gone by, and David longed for that closeness that had been lost while chasing his own desires. David also realized that joy is not acquired by chasing desire. Rather, joy comes from the Lord. In Psalm 51:12, David asked God to restore that joy and to lead and guide him according to God’s will.
We are are presented with a beautiful picture of repentance and restoration.
Was this the only time David sinned? Of course not. Was that the last time David sinned? Again, no. But we are are presented with a beautiful picture of repentance and restoration. I want to encourage you today. If God has put his finger on an issue that He wants to change in your life, don’t fight Him. Yield to the Lord, and let Him create a clean heart in you. Maybe you recognize your fault, but you cannot forgive yourself. With a clean heart, ask the Lord to restore joy in your life and lead you in the way that will bring honor and glory to the one who created you.