David Repents

I like to bring this subject up sometimes because I don’t know who may read this ‘Tidbit,’ who may not have heard this kind of message before.  I think it is very important that everyone hears this kind of message and act on it if they have not.

If you are a born-again believer you probably heard about repentance.  I wonder how many have really wept over their sins, before or after their conversion.  Repentance means to blame no one else for your bad behavior and to take responsibility for what you have done.  It means changing one’s mind and turning away from sin.  It means acknowledging the fact that you have sinned, and are a sinner, and being sorry for the sins that you have willfully committed.  It means to decide to make a change in your life by turning from sin and going on doing your own thing by turning to God and submitting yourself to His authority.  One thing it doesn’t mean is to just be sorry you got caught at something you should not have done, that is called worldly sorrow, what you need is godly sorrow.  

The Apostle Paul, when the Corinthian church repented after being corrected, said this in 2 Corinthians 7:6-16, “But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. For this reason we have been comforted.  And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth. His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.”

There were divisions in the church that had to be addressed, and Paul was delighted with the results, because the people repented with godly sorrow.  Repentance is a healthy expression and does wonders for the parties involved in sin.  King David wrote about this subject in Psalms 32:1-5, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!  When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.”

In Psalms 51:1-17, King David’s repentant prayer is recorded which he prayed after being confronted by Nathan about a year after his sin with Bathsheba and having her husband killed.  Pay close attention to verse 17 which is what the Lord desires of man, it says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

I think I have said enough, now you have a decision to make if you find yourself in an unrepentant state.  I hope you choose to repent and get right with the Lord.  God bless and have a great day!!