Has it really been that long??

I guess its kind of a good thing that I am really the only person who writes and reads this blog. Maybe if I were more consistent with updates people would check it out more.

I was reading this afternoon for my QT and read about David and Bathsheba (2 Sam 11-12). Honestly, what a crazy story this is. Maybe its because I am older now, but I am troubled more and more as I read about David being a "man after God's own heart" to reading about the great struggle he had with his sexuality. Ever since he came in contact with King Saul, he took on several wives and concubine. Maybe that is the way it was done back then, but it was still not God's plan.

So, David sleeps with this woman and gets news that she is pregnant and he immediately starts trying to figure out how to cover his tracks. Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, was an honorable man. He met with David one-on-one and was told by David to return to his home - to rest from his journey (meaning, "Please go home and sleep with your wife!"). Uriah denied himself for the good of his men. David was foiled. What does he do next? He sends him to the front line of battle with the intent on making sure he was killed.

Is that not dirty? Wow! News came back to David that Uriah, in fact, did die in battle - but David showed no remorse. He waited as long as he had to in order to give Bathsheba time to mourn her husband, then took her as his wife.

Then, we get the great scene where God sends Nathan to David to confront him on his sin. You'll have to read the account to get the full effect, but its incredible to me that it took that long to let the guilt that I am sure was eating David alive surface. Confronted with his sin, David confessed to God and repented. The outcome - the child became sick and died. David fasted and prayed the entire time he was sick. Can you imagine what he was praying? We have Psalm 51, which David wrote after the confrontation. I would imagine that this psalm was committed to memory because of how many times David repeated it during this time of prayer and fasting.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You."
~~ Psalm 51:10-13

Can we make that our prayer for today? God I confess my sin to you now and ask you to forgive me from my wickedness and unrighteousness. It is my desire to follow you all my days, so create a clean heart within me. Do not cast me from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me!!

Blessings!
Jerry