Have you ever messed-up so big that you felt like you couldn’t go to God? It’s a more common experience for unbelievers, but it can happen to Christians too. Has it ever happened to you? Maybe to someone you know? Then this article is full of GOOD NEWS for you.
Have you ever taken a close friend’s wife to your bed? Have you ever murdered anyone? Ever hired a killer to murder someone so that you weren’t personally guilty? Ever killed countless men? Ever killed a woman? Ever killed a bunch of women? Ever cut someone’s head off? Have you ever messed up so badly that 70,000 people died? David did all these things, every single one of them.
Isn’t this a big enough list of SCREW-UPS to put God off limits to David? Did David actually think he could go before the throne of God and receive forgiveness? How could God possibly stomach all of David’s sickening behavior?
NO! David’s list of screw-ups wasn’t too big for God. YES! David did believe that God was willing to extend forgiveness. REPENTANCE enabled God to forgive David’s screw-ups and restore their relationship.
2 Sam. 24:10 “David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
Repentance begins in a person’s heart/mind. It starts with the realization of our sin looks like in the eyes of God. That is the only way to clearly see the seriousness of sin, IN THE EYES OF GOD. The moment that happens, we will be “conscience-stricken” as was David.
Next, our lips will confirm our repentance: “he said to the Lord, I have sinned.” A heart/mind broken over sin knows instantly where to turn – TO THE LORD. Well, it knows that instantly, if that person knows the LORD. This is where a person can get all hung up and think that their screw-ups are too big for God. That happens when someone doesn’t really know God. Knowing God enables a person to know that no mess-up is too big for God. That is why David turned “to the LORD.”
Repentance then will accept whatever consequences God determines are appropriate; different sins have different results. If repentance is genuine, the willingness to pay the price will not fade.
Finally, authentic repentance will be compelled to worship the LORD God once the relationship has been made whole again. It might be through more prayer time; maybe some time in God’s Word; it could be with a special time of fellowship with another believer or even through a time of praise and worship in song. The bottom line: real-deal repentance always travels from a broken heart to worship, never getting lost on the journey.
If you know the LORD, then you’ve probably made this journey already. But just in case your view of God isn’t big enough for some of your mess-ups, then it’s time to trade your God in for JEHOVAH GOD ALMIGHTY, the God bigger than any of your mistakes. Fall down before Him and cry out for forgiveness and He will flood your soul with His mercy. God blesss.
