Devoted: Examining Key Men In The BibleSample

Say What?

David repented for his mistake with Bathsheba.

Breakdown: Have you ever made a BIG mistake? I mean a really BIG mistake, one that you thought you would never make? One that when you saw others make it, you said to yourself, “How could they do something so silly”? Even as I write these words, I can tell you that I have made those kinds of mistakes.

This is where we find David as he writes this 51st Psalm. He had just made a huge mistake with a woman named Bathsheba (read 2 Samuel 11), a woman who was not his wife, but with whom he had a relationship that produced a child. God confronted David about his mistake, which drove David to ask God to forgive him.

All sin is wrong in the eyes of the Lord, and one of the keys to being a devoted young man is to know when it’s time to repent. But, what does it mean to repent? Great question. Imagine that you are walking down the street, when halfway down, you realize you’re walking the wrong way. Do you keep going? No, you turn around and walk back so you can head in the right direction. This is what you are doing when you repent to the Lord. You are admitting that you are heading down the wrong path, and then you turn back to go the right way.

David made his BIG mistake, but he also made his BIG change by repenting, asking God to make his heart pure and to renew his spirit. In short, David asked God to change his heart so he would not make this mistake again. He also asked God to renew his spirit, which is the part of you that should help you stay out of trouble. Your spirit is your conviction, and it lets you know when things are wrong and that you need to change. None of us will ever be perfect, but when we know that we are on the wrong street/path/road, we need to make a decision to change, repent and turn in the right direction.

Prayer: Lord, today I repent for my mistakes, those things that I have done that were wrong and not pleasing in Your sight. Today help me to overcome those mistakes and live new for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Live it out: Today, make a list of all the mistakes you have made. After you make the list, pray for God to forgive you for each of the things on the list. Before you throw the list away, look at it to see how you became involved in these actions in the first place. Do this so you can set some rules and boundaries to help you avoid making these mistakes again. You won’t change if you do not have a plan to change.