| Song of Solomon 5:1-8:14, II Corinthians 9:1-15, Psalm 51:1-19, Proverbs 22:24-25
“And after You have punished me, give me back my joy again. Don’t keep looking at my sins – erase them from Your sight. Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Don’t toss me aside, banished forever from Your presence. Don’t take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of Your salvation and make me willing to obey You. Then I will teach sinners and they – guilty like me – will repent and return to You.” Psalm 51:8-13
This Psalm was written by King David after Nathan the prophet confronted him concerning killing Uriah and taking his wife. His conscience gnawed at him because of the horrible deed he did, but obviously not enough to confess it before the Lord and get right.
Sometimes we think if God hasn’t corrected us on a wrongdoing then maybe He doesn’t care or He’s letting it slide. God gives us what I like to call a “space of grace.” He gives the opportunity for us to come and admit we have done wrong and when we don’t in a certain length of time, He confronts us. Even this is done out of love. We can’t go on like that. We have to hit the wall and get our mind right. David pretty much begs God to make him right and to even give him a desire to obey. He’s tired of the darkness and is ready to come full circle. Once David is restored, he has a story to tell; he has the ability to reach back and guide the next person through. Are you right? Is there anything that God is putting His finger on that needs to go or change? If you are on the other side, is there anyone you know that could benefit from your experience?
PRAYER: Lord, help me to get any area that is not right lined out with You. I don’t want a wall between us, I don’t want to walk in darkness, and I don’t want to carry on like nothing is wrong. Please Lord, keep me from deception. Help me to reach out to those who need my testimony. Give me boldness to reach them. In Jesus’ name, amen. |
