The Creator

Psalm 51 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment... Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.... Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.... For You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Ever try to squeeze a size 12 body into a size 6 jeans? Covering up sin in your life is a lot like that. Even if you are able to achieve it, it's not pretty.

David had a real mess on his hands and nothing he was doing to try to cover it up was working. In fact, the more he tried to manipulate the situation to his benefit the worse it got.

Have you been there? Me too.

Finally, and I am speculating here, David seemed to have regained some control. Uriah was dead and Bathsheba was in David's house carrying David's child and maybe given enough time the whole mess would blow over. And then Nathan the prophet comes and confronts David with the fact that nothing is hidden from God. Not the sin, not the cover up, not the intent of his heart. All things are laid open and bare to Him with whom we have to do. You can't get anything over on God.

If David had one thing right it was his apology. No excuses, no lies, no bargaining. It must have felt good to just finally come clean and say...

Have mercy on me, O God. I know my transgression, it is ever before my eyes. I was born into sin and continue in it until this day. Purge me. Wash me. Don't leave me Lord. Cast me not away. Deliver me and allow me to tell others of the redemptive work that You have done in my life. Create in me a clean heart and renew in me clear thinking and a right spirit. My sacrifice to You is a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

If your life has not fallen apart at some point, it probably will. If you make a mess of everything look to David. Be honest. He already knows you are a mess. Just agree with Him and allow Him to be the mender of your life. He is the restorer of your soul. The creator of a clean heart. It is His specialty He lives to make intercession for you.

Father thank You for the story of David and Bathsheba. It is one of my favorites. You loved David, despite his behavior and the mess he made of things and You have not changed from that time to this. Thank You for loving me even when I could not love myself and when I found myself in a place where no one else could love me either. Only You can create a clean heart and renew a life that is broken. It is Your good pleasure to do so.