When God exposed the sins of David, David prayed this prayer, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2)." David immediately asked for God's mercy. Mercy means not getting what he deserves. The punishment for adultery and murder in the Old Testament is death. David was pleading for God's mercy to spare his life, for he deserved to die because of the magnitude of his sins. David asked for mercy according to God's unfailing love. God's unfailing love is a love that cannot be changed by circumstances. It is not a conditional love. It means that God loves us even when we are rebelling and sinning against Him. It does not mean that He tolerates our sins, but He is going to do anything to take us out of our sins and forgive us, and that is exactly what God did to David. God exposed David's sin to save him from his sins. Then David asked God to blot out his transgressions according to his compassion.
A transgression is an act of breaking God's commandment. David sinned against God because he chose to disobey God's commandment. And David was asking God to take away his sins according to His compassion. Compassion is an action of love. It is a demonstration of someone's love. David was pleading for God to wash away his sins because that was the only way that he could be restored. Sin has a way of blinding us with its consequences until it runs its course. David did not realize the magnitude of his sins until he was caught. Some people got caught up in sin, got caught, and asked themselves: how did they get there? Many people in jail were asking the same question. When David realized his sin, he couldn't go back to the past to undo or correct everything that he had done. All he could do now was to ask God for forgiveness and be renewed once again. 2 Samuel 12:13-14 says, "Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die."
God had forgiven David, but the consequences of his sins remained. He lost the son he had with Bathsheba, and there would be rebellion in his own household. Later, one of David's sons, Absalom, would steal his throne and sleep with his concubines.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Who can forgive me of the sins that I have committed? What can I learn about God in today's devotion? What can I learn about David in today's devotion?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, you are a merciful, loving, and compassionate God. I confess all my sins to you and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for hearing my confession and forgiving all the sins that I have committed. I praise you and glorify your name. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.