Own It.

David had it all. He was king, he was an attractive guy, had God’s favor, musically talented; he was the whole package. Then it was gone. David was no victim though. Many would argue, especially those effected by David’s sins, that he got what he deserved. Following a huge scandal that involved sexual immorality and murder just for starters, David would come to grips with what he had done and it would cost him the life of his son. Sometimes it’s so difficult to compare ourselves to guys in the Bible because we have the completed story in front of us. We know David went on to write most of the Psalms and was a, “man after God’s own heart.” David’s journey wasn’t a reflection of his destination though. So while his destination is important, where we can draw self applications comes from his journey. Often times though, we look at what we’re currently going through, take a look at people like David and think, “Nope – nothing like that guy.” You can’t compare your current journey to David’s final destination. So it’s in his journey where God’s revealed to me the wisdom to get through my current situation and I pray what God has shown me can be used for some encouragement to you. I must be honest though, I’m writing this blog for the One who gave me inspiration to write it in the first place. I’m writing this because I’m going to need this post as a reminder as I move forward. Satan has spent plenty of time convincing me that no one wants to read anything I have to say. That people will only critique anything I post. So this is for Him. If you want to read in detail the event I’m talking about today, you’ll find it in 2 Samuel 12. This a blog about one of my Bible heroes overcoming the same enemy I’m dealing with now… Himself.

So Nathan who was a prophet and close advisor to King David tells David a story about a cruel rich man that David says, “must die,” for his cruelty especially because he, “had no pity.” Nathan’s story isn’t alarming. It’s the parallel he makes immediately after. “You are the man!” Nathan exclaims. Then God begins speaking through Nathan saying, “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.” Dang. Oh, but He isn’t done. He continues and says, “Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.” Wow. When I read this intervention I can’t help but wonder what I’d say after God just threw all my hidden sins in my face. How much fear would I have knowing that I never fooled Him for a moment. I go to those humiliating moments my dad caught me doing something stupid when I was a teenager. How uncomfortable it was. How stupid I felt. Now turn all of that up by ten because this isn’t Dad we’re dealing with. David is face to face with the Creator. The One who gave him everything. This was David’s greatest confrontation – the greatest confrontation all of us must face. We must confront our sin face to face with the One who gave it all for us. It’s pivotal. Without this confrontation, the sin we think were secretly committing can define us and hold us back from our true potential.

Own it.

This is best piece of advice I’ve been given this last year because I’ve seen it’s effects. If you don’t own your sin, it’ll end up owning you in that it’s the best you’ll ever be. It gives you limits whereas God’s grace makes you limitless. So own it. But here’s the big question: How? How does one, “own it?” David’s response to what God said through Nathan amazed me. He says simply, “I have sinned against the Lord.” It’s not just that he admits his sin, he goes further in saying who he sinned against. His offense was with God and so with God he must seek forgiveness. This is logically the first place I should go for forgiveness, but is it always the first place I go? I mean, what good is it achieving everyone’s approval if you’re at odds with your creator? David’s sin offended, hurt, scarred a lot of people. His mistakes tainted the responsibility given to him by God as King. So as many people as he hurt, the offense that struck him the worst was knowing he sinned against God. His very response shifted the control in his hands though and away from his mistakes. His sin was no longer in the driver’s seat.

I don’t believe one pays for their sins in that the cancer you’re battling exists because God is punishing you. I find that offensive and contrary to the character of Christ. I still hold to this opinion regardless of what occurs following David’s realization that he was, “the man.” David loses his son. Sin, once confronted, doesn’t make sin’s effects disappear. When you accept Christ as Savior, death doesn’t give you a pass. When someone admits they’re guilty of murder, they’re still going to prison. David admitted he sinned against God, and sin’s effects were still going to take place. The people he hurt, would still be hurt. His son’s death, would not be a consequence for David though.So the week his son was sick, David spent all that time sleeping on the floor next to him. He pleaded with God for the child. He didn’t eat. This sure feels like a consequence. “God, this isn’t fair. I confessed. I admitted what I did wrong. Why are you punishing me? I thought things would be easier now.” That’s not what David said though. Following his son’s passing, the servants were afraid to approach David and inform him he died. I mean, the process of watching him see his son die had to be a tough scene. This man was King. He’s killed armies, conquered the biggest and best, yet now here is, sleeping on the ground in a pool of his own tears. It’s not what David said following the news of the death of his son – it’s what he did: “Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.” 2 Samuel‬ ‭12:20.

Once you own it, it doesn’t own you – so don’t let it. Move forward. Keep pressing forward. Don’t look back. Don’t hesitate. There is nothing that can stop what God has started, so don’t get in the way. God has a purpose for you. He’s had a plan since before you were in the womb. He’s in control. Owning your sin doesn’t mean you’re in control of it. It means you’ve given yourself over to a higher power, however, that is and always will be in control. There will be people in your life that will never forget your sin and will love to remind you of the time you failed. You can’t allow others who are stuck in the past to dictate where you’re heading.

David owned it, paid it, and moved forward. Read what David says to his attendants who ask why he’s moved forward: “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” He looks at moving forward like, “what else am I suppose to do?” Do you really want to be remembered by the mistakes you made? Or do you want to leave behind a legacy that shows how God can overcome any circumstance, any mistake, and He can use anybody? David is remembered as the guy who killed Goliath with a sling and a stone; the king of Israel – the man after God’s own heart. The reason is he owned up to his sin. He confessed it and turned away from it. That confession, that repentant spirit, was the ownership. The turning away was David moving forward. Which is exactly what we must do. God has forgiven you! That is to be celebrated. What are you telling God by continuing to dwell on it? Continuing to dwell on the people that remind you of your past, never forgetting the mistakes you’ve made? God loves you, has forgiven you, and is not finished with you. If He was, you wouldn’t be here!

Following David’s turnaround, he wrote a beautiful song and it was enshrined in the books of songs in the Bible among some of the greatest lyrics ever written. It’s found in Psalm 51 and I’ll close this blog with those thoughts:

“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, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 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. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 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. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 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. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.” – Psalms‬ ‭51 ESV‬‬

Signing out for now. Talk to you again soon. Thanks for reading.