King David's Remorse Obvious

AI illustration. © GTFS.

by Glenn Franco Simmons

On the r/TrueChristian group on Reddit®, I read a beautiful post about King David in Psalm 51 that spoke such sincere truth to my heart that I was moved enough to make this post, so that more people may read it.

In my separate post on this website are two Psalms and the Reddit post, which reminded me of my own continuous quest and, at times, struggle to know and love God.

Do you ever feel as if your sins, mistakes, and the slings and arrows of life in general, have dulled your spiritual ardor ~ especially for those of you who have serious, potentially life-threatening health concerns? It can lead to a person withdrawing, even depression.

In such a state, isn’t it easy to put off praying? To delay talking to God, until you “get back on the righteous path”? Ever been there?

Have you ever thought, “How can God use me, a sinner” to do good in the world, to encourage others to know and love God?

Well, that is one of the lessons that I believe may be gleaned from Psalm 51. Obviously, all humans are sinners, and God has promised to use such imperfect humans to spread His Word.

AI illustration. © GTFS.

When I read the Reddit post, it immediately renewed hope for me at a time when I face what may be significant health challenges. It helped re-light that spiritual ardor.

Rather than focusing on my mistakes, my sins, choices that should of, could of, would of, I started to think more positively about my life and actual contributions to society and others in my journalistic career and life in general.

Reflection is necessary in life. It is how we learn, come to terms with our sins and their often-deleterious ramifications on ourselves and others. Yet to dwell in reflection that negatively alters your spiritual path and, ultimately, your eternal destiny is not productive.

As King David acknowledges to God that his sinful transgressions have seemingly cut off his connection with the Almighty, one can see his painful remorse for his actions and realization that his human (not divine) nature has ruled his life to this point.

One can understand King David’s desire to right the wrongs of his past by serving as a messenger of God’s promises to non-Christians who, when presented with the Good Word, believe in and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Psalm 51 definitively represents King David’s heartfelt sorrow. As a result, it is one of the most-moving series of Holy Bible verses. Such demonstrable sorrow may leave us forlorn, at times, because seeing such a powerful, knowledgeable king brought to his knees in beseeching God for forgiveness shows us that even the most powerful on Earth are eventually humbled.

King David expresses remorse in Psalm 51. AI. © GTFS.

King David cannot escape the consequences of his own actions. He is the cause of his resulting punishment by sadly losing four sons to death by unnatural causes: (1) son born to Bathsheba, 2 Samuel 12:18; (2) Amnon, heir to the throne, 2 Samuel 13; (3) Absalom, next heir, 2 Samuel 18:14, 15; (4) Adonijah, next-in-line heir, 1 Kings 2:23-25.

Obviously, sins are not without consequences. Rather than interpret my own consequences as punishment from an unloving God, I perceive them as results of my own actions in a physical universe and spiritual eternity created by a loving God to bring us back to the straight path.

In other words, my perception is that God created an equilibrium in the world and in our own lives. Our sins throw that equilibrium into disarray, which causes a spiritual vertigo.

This spiritual imbalance can lead to lack of prayer, more sinful actions that compound past sins (similar to compounded interest rates), and more deleterious consequences.

The only way out is to humble ourselves, repent and turn back toward God, as we see King David attempting to do in this Psalm.

If King David could humble himself so, then certainly his self-admitted contrast of hubris versus humility is something seemingly all humans, of any faith or religion, and any societal status and/or wealth, could certainly relate to.

While many may relate to King David’s remorse, his human frailty when it comes to sin, making bad choices and harming others, his story would actually be incomplete if we do not take into consideration that King David did indeed enjoy the joy of God’s balm of salvation as noted in 2 Samuel 22 and 2 Samuel 23:1-7.

While our path may meander, God's Word can keep us on it. AI. © GTFS.

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: “Yahweh’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.’

Isn’t my house so with God? Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure, for it is all my salvation and all my desire, although he doesn’t make it grow. But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand. The man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They will be utterly burned with fire in their place.”

~ 2 Samuel 23:1-7

From the public-domain, trademarked World English Bible®. Used according to WEB’s terms.

God's protective Word is like springtime and sunshine. AI. © GTFS.

2 Samuel 22

David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, and he said: “Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine; God is my rock in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My savior, you save me from violence.

I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. For the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The cords of Sheol [*] were around me. The snares of death caught me.

In my distress, I called on Yahweh. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry came into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. Smoke went up out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind. He made darkness a shelter around himself: gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled.

Yahweh thundered from heaven. The Most High uttered his voice. He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning and confused them. Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by Yahweh’s rebuke, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was my support. He also brought me out into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands. For I have kept Yahweh’s ways, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I didn’t depart from them. I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity.

Throughout this vast universe, God's Word remains true. AI. © GTFS.

Therefore, Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight. With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect. With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. You will save the afflicted people, But your eyes are on the arrogant, that you may bring them down. For you are my lamp, Yahweh. Yahweh will light up my darkness. For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.

As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh’s word is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, besides Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God? God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect. He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great. You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped.

I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed. I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet. For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. They looked, but there was no one to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.

Bible verses are to my soul what flowers are to spring. AI. © GTFS.

You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me. The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me. The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places.

Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me, who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.

Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name. He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”

* Footnote: 22:6 Sheol is the place of the dead.

~ 2 Samuel 22

From the public-domain, trademarked World English Bible®. Used according to WEB’s terms.

AI illustration. © GTFS.

Reddit post:

Psalm 51: Restore to me the joy of your salvation {is} {s}uch a beautiful Psalm for those who are struggling

So often we read on this sub and other Christian subreddits heartbroken people who feel that they've screwed up and sinned so much that they think God is not going to want anything to do with them.

David clearly felt that exact same way after his adultery with Bathsheba and those feelings produced one of the most profound poems of raw repentance ever written.

It's certainly worth revisiting today to take in. While I love verse 12, *Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me,* I think there is a particular poignancy in the following verse that is worth taking to heart.

*Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.* (Psalm 51:13)

One of the most jaw-dropping aspects of the Gospel is that God uses US, terribly flawed but redeemed sinners to be the carriers of his Good News.

The Almighty God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, can command angels to do his bidding or rearrange the heavens to teach a fallen world his ways so that they come back to him.

But instead, WE get to be the ones that he chose to reflect his perfect love and light to the world. We are the ones who get this Great Commission.

I yearn for these words of David's psalm to echo in the heart of every broken soul who thinks they've gone too far and are beyond hope. Because they're not.

Their broken heart is their sacrifice which God will redeem because everyone one of us is part of his perfect plan.

© Reddit. Used for editorial, not commercial, purposes. This blog is not supported by advertising and/or donations.