God’s Not Done With You: Encouragement From the Bible's Greatest Comeback StoriesSample

Day 4: David

Today’s devotional is for everyone who has sinned. That, of course, is all of us. This subject is common to all people, yet so often we’re blinded and deceived when it comes to the solution for our own acts of sin.

If this gets your attention, I can predict how you might be feeling. You may think God is done with you. You may think you just messed up too big for God to help you. If you think that, you may be encouraged by what I’m about to say.

The tragic story of King David and his deep dive into sin is very, very well known. I call this “the most infamous act of adultery in the history of the world.” Maybe you know the story as it’s told in 2 Samuel 11 and 12.

Here's the story in a nutshell: David called for the wife of an Israeli soldier who was at war, bedded her while her husband was on the front lines, impregnated her, and attempted to cover it up by arranging her husband’s death. David tried to hide all this, but God sent Nathan the prophet to expose his sin and make it public to all of the kingdom.

Before we see the solution to all this, it’s good to pause and remind ourselves that sin is always a setback. Sin is never in secret.

But sin is not the end.

There is a way out. Psalm 51 is that beautiful chapter where David confesses his sin to God.

Psalm 51 is when David stops hiding, stops running from God, and starts running to God.

Our first response is anything but running to God—even though God has made it clear that he wants us to run to him. Think about Adam and Eve. Jonah. David. The prodigal son. Run to God, not away.

There’s no doubt David needs to repent. But at the core of it, repentance is running to God, because when we run to God, we (by necessity) run away from sin!

So David is running to God, and what we learn in Psalm 51 is so helpful. If you’re coming back to God—or even thinking about it—remember these principles.

1. Run to Jesus directly. You don’t have to go through any intermediary. Run directly to Jesus.
2. Take ownership over your sin. God doesn’t play the blame game. We think we can see a million reasons why we did something wrong, and we’re eager to blame others, but God doesn’t accept that. Take ownership. Say, “I was wrong.”
3. When you come back, trust in his mercy and forgiveness.

Scripture gives us certain hope that God will be merciful because of the completed atoning work of Christ. “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow… Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities… Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:7, 9, 12, ESV).

Do you see what David recognizes in that statement? David recognizes that only God can do those things for him, so he throws himself at God’s feet. Purge me. Wash me. Hide your face from my sins. Restore me. This is how you come to God.

David’s situation was bad, but God’s mercy was great. I don’t know what you’re dealing with today, but God does—and he is able to take you on the same journey of forgiveness and restoration that David was on. Trust him to do that for you.