It is hard to imagine how he could make a bigger mess of his life. David slept with the wife of one of his officers. He first tried to hide his sin. When that did not work, he had her husband killed during a battle. David knew better. He was the King over God’s people. But I understand how it happened. So do you. We have all done things that we knew we should not do. We have tried to cover up our sin. And sometimes, we have involved others in our sin. We have hurt others.

But the story of David does not end there, and neither does our story.

David repented of his sin. In fact, you can read David’s reaction to his sin in Psalm 51. He begs God to cleanse him from his sin. He asked God to wash him whiter than snow. David wants God to hide His face from his sins and to blot out his iniquity. David asks for forgiveness. He brings to God a broken and contrite heart.

David also wanted to have his relationship with God restored. He wanted a clean and pure heart. He wanted God’s Holy Spirit to stay with him. He wanted joy and gladness in his life again. He asked God to restore the joy of His salvation and to renew a willing spirit within him.

David repented, and he sought restoration. But David also committed to a lifestyle that reflects this repentance. When God forgave and restored him, David did two things. He sang of God’s righteousness. He was going to live a forgiven life praising God. He also committed to telling other sinners the ways of God so they too would repent and turn to God.

That is a story that you are invited to live out in your life. God loves you. When you sin, seek forgiveness and restoration. Then worship God with thanksgiving for what He has done for you. Do not be selfish with the good news. Let others know that God’s forgiveness is readily available. We Christians are not perfect, but we are forgiven and restored. We live forgiven lives of praise and testimony to what God has done — and is doing — in our lives.

If you are not a Christian, that is the life we invite you into — a life of forgiveness and restoration. I can help you become part of the story God is writing in this world through his Son. Write to me at steve@hopeforlife.org or visit our HopeForLife.org website.

David needed more than forgiveness. He needed restoration.
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