One of the stories in the Bible speaks about a man named David who was a king and abused his power.
David saw a woman bathing ~ a woman, named Bathsheba, who was the wife of one of his soldiers, and decided to take her for himself. Then he had Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, killed so he could have her permanently.
There’s a lot more to the story of David and you can read this particular one here, and an interesting story it is. For David commits murder, adultery ~ his heart is full of greed and selfishness. YET, God uses David and forgives him of his sin.
The question is ~ why?
A small book I’ve been reading makes a very powerful statement regarding David:
“It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart.” Steps to Christ, pg 24
David didn’t just want forgiveness, he wanted a changed heart.
You see sometimes we do things we know are wrong and we regret it. Regrets are a start, but if we don’t want to change the direction of our lives what good are they?
God is able to work with me when I not only regret what I have done wrong, but when I allow Him to help me turn from doing it again. That’s what David experienced in his life ~ true repentance. A desire to turn from his wrong and do what is right.
And because of this, David was able to write in Psalm 32:1,2
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”
Yes, the Lord can “cover” us ~ but like David, we need to want purity of heart.
May the Lord bless you on your journey ~ may He turn your face towards Him ~ the One who can transform hearts.
